


The Sea Calls to Me

by DomesticGoddess



Series: The Sea and Me [1]
Category: The Hobbit
Genre: Bilbo is half of nothing!, F/M, He's a fish, He's only half-fish, M/M, Merpeople AU, Modern AU, Oh wait, Romance, Sexual Content, Slow Build, everyone is human, except bilbo, hermaphrodite!Bilbo, merman/human sexual content, romantic!Thorin
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-21
Updated: 2018-12-03
Packaged: 2019-04-03 18:08:55
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 24
Words: 76,477
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14001684
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DomesticGoddess/pseuds/DomesticGoddess
Summary: Thorin Durin was a workaholic. He knew it. His family knew. His whole company knew it. So, when his sister decides to buy the family a private island as an excuse to make him take a vacation, Thorin reluctantly agrees. Instead of being bored out of his mind as he expected, the island seems to hold an alluring appeal to him and he finds himself drawn to the beautiful little piece of paradise. But, nothing the island has to offer can compare to the pull he feels towards a certain fantastical man from the ocean itself.





	1. A Haunted Island?

"You bought an island?" Sighing with exasperation, Thorin pinched the bridge of his nose and leaned into his desk. He expected a lot of things when he called his little sister in to question her about the rather large expenditure that showed up on one of their family bank accounts, but that wasn't one of them. "Why?"

"Why not?" Came Dis's curt reply.

"Dis," his response weighed down by his renewed fatigue and blossoming headache, "you know I have only one restriction to your shopping habits and I thought we had come to an agreement." Having practically raised them since their mother had died, Thorin did his best not to smother his younger siblings under his authority. But he had to draw the line somewhere. Just because they were multi-millionaires didn't mean they had to burn money on extravagant useless things.

"And I have kept it. Honestly, Thorin, when have I ever spent excessively on something impractical." She defended with a huff.

Thorin stared at her with an unimpressed raised eyebrow.

"That doesn't count. I've already consented that buying a solid gold toilet with a diamond studded lid was, perhaps, going a bit overboard, but you have to admit it was very pretty. And I returned it when you asked like any reasonable sister." She insisted with a dignified lift of her chin.

His stare was still unimpressed, though the brow had dropped. "You spent over a million dollars on a _single_ toilet and _only_ returned it because I happened to notice before you had it installed and threatened to cut off all your spending money if you didn't"

"I was nineteen. Everyone makes silly descisions when they're young. It should hardly be held against me. Anyway, I had a perfectly good reason for buying that island and I got it at a great price. It has a beautiful manor big enough for the whole family already built onto it with excellent facilities, a nice sandy cove for swimming and a larger bay perfect for scuba diving, and it's is in a great tropical location. It will be a beautiful vacation spot. The boys will love it and, maybe, you'll finally be far enough away from work to actually relax for once." She ended her sales pitch with a stab.

He sighed again. He knew he was a workaholic. It wasn't really necessary anymore. Back when their father had dissapeared, it had taken Thorin everything he had as the new CEO to keep their company intact, not that he hadn't already been handeling most of his father's responsabilities since his mother died, but his father's dissapearence had causes quite an upset among some of their investors. Because of his youth, he had to work extra hard to prove that he could manage things to their satisfaction. Now, though, the company was stable and he could afford to delegate more. It was mostly out of habit that he chose not to, that and he didn't have much of a life outside of work anymore so he didn't know what to do with himself. He decided to ignore her jab for now. "So, what's wrong with it?"

"What makes you think there's anything wrong with it. It's a beautiful island. It will be perfect for us." Clearly trying to misdirect him.

"You said you got it at a good price. If it's such a paradise as you say, then something must have pushed down the price." His expectant gaze unflinching.

She put up a valient effort to ignore him, but knew he wasn't going to give in until he knew the details and that there was no way she was going to be able to wrangle him into visiting the island if she couldn't even sell him on owning it. "Oh alright, there might be a rumor that it's haunted, but nothing's ever been proven and I don't believe in that nonsense anyway." She revealed with a sniff.

"It's haunted. You bought a haunted island?" He leaned back in his chair wondering how this was his life. Maybe it was a good thing she bought the island. He was going to need a vacation after this. He wouldn't be surprised if that was the whole point of this mess.

"Nothing serious. A figure seen on the beach one moment and gone the next, footprints in the sand, small things disappearing, strange images in the water, just little things of that nature. Nothing dangerous or damaging." She dismissed with a wave of her hand.

"And you don't think that strangers on a private island could be dangerous?" It sounded more like a trespasser or a burglar.

"Every instance has been investigated. Satellite images show that there were no unauthorized boats anywhere near the island around the time of any of them. The island has been thoroughly searched for any hideouts. The missing items were always small and shiny, though not particularly valuable. They could easily have been lost or snatched by some kind of animal. The cove has even been searched and, though there are some underwater caves under the island, one would need an air tank to explore them and no one in a scuba suit is going to move fast enough to pass as a ghost." She explained with an air of long suffering.

"And yet the belief that it is haunted is enough to have pushed the price down." He challenged. "Tell me, how many owners has this island had?"

"A few. Thorin, you know how suspicious people are. If you tell them it's haunted, they'll see ghosts in everything. I did my research. I told you. Nothing has ever been proven. If something should happen, I've no doubt we can handle it." 

He stared at her in silence, working everything she had said through his mind while she stared back expectantly. Finally, a great sigh left him. "Fine. You can keep it. But I want Dwalin to check the island over and make sure it's secure. And if it becomes a problem, we're selling it." He ground out with finality returning to the paperwork on his desk.

"Excellent! I'll let Dwalin know and we'll have everything ready by the end of next month." She informed him cheerfully getting up from her chair and heading to the door of his office.

Thorin looked up, eyebrows furrowed, as he thought about what she said. "Why? What's at the end of next month?"

"Our vacation of course! Why buy an island if you're not going to use it? You haven't had a vacation since you've had this job, so it's about time you took one." 

He knew it! He knew that was her goal all along. "Dis, I have work."

"I will have Balin clear up your schedule for at least a week. You have family too, Thorin. The boys want to spend more time with you. Frerin and I want to see more of you. Are we not as important as the company?" She ended softly.

He knew she was guilt tripping him. She knew he did everything he did for the family. But she was also right. He couldn't remember the last day he had spent with his nephews. He only had a vague idea as to what Frerin had been up to lately. He suddenly felt a deep need to reconnect with his family. And if he had to suffer through a family vacation to do that, he would survive. "Fine." He finally consented. She beamed. No doubt feeling she won this round and left him to get back to his work.

He leaned back in his chair and ran a hand down his face with a sigh. He really did love his family, even if they did drive him up a wall sometimes. Maybe a vacation wouldn't be so bad. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I beta this for myself and am a bit obsessive, but I can only reread it so many time before I get tired of it. If you see any big mistakes feel free to let me know. This is my very first attempt at fanfiction . . . ever, so, please be kind to me. I am open to suggestions and constructive criticism.


	2. Welcome to Paradise

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry this took so long. RL is really busy and it seems to take me forever to write anything. I just want to say I am steadily working on it, I just don't know when chapters will be done.

True to her word, Dis had everything taken care of and arranged within a little over a month. Dwalin had led an island wide search for any evidence of trespassers and had found nothing. The manor and all its facilities had been checked over for any needed repairs and had been refurnished to Dis's preferences. The kitchen and bars had all been restocked. 

She had even had Balin clear up Thorin's schedule for the next two weeks, though when it came down to it, he was still resistant to just drop everything and get away. If Dis had not been so determined, he might have still been able to wiggle his way out of the whole thing, but she was (she even packed him), which is why Thorin now found himself on one of their smaller yachts currently heading out to the island.

He was relieved to find out that this vacation was only to be the immidiate family. Between Frerin, Dis, Vince, Fili and Kili, it was sure to be roudy enough; he wasn't sure he could handle all of their cousins in one place on their first trip. Dwalin would be there as head of security, of course, but he was just as much a workaholic as Thorin. The boys were hyperactive mischief makers, Thorin could only imagine what kind of trouble they would find (and he knew they would be looking). Dis's husband, Vince, wasn't so bad, being an artist he was pretty laid back and seemed to have the patience of a saint. 

Dis and Frerin, however, seemed to think it was their job to harass him. Of course, that's not what they called it. They called it 'keeping him on his toes,' or 'getting him to lighten up,' or 'pushing him out of his comfort zone,' and other such nonsense. Honestly, they act like he does nothing but work, which isn't true. He works out in his private gym. Sometimes he even watches a little TV (not often and he usually falls asleep, but still). Alright maybe some down time might be nice, but he'd never admit it to Dis.

Just as he was admitting to himself that he probrably really could use this vacation, the island started coming into view. It was a more secluded island, just close enough to civilization to be convenient, but isolated enough to be private and secure. In fact, it was perfect for a private getaway. There weren't any other islands in the immediate vicinity. It wasn't so large you could get lost on it, but it had plenty of wooded space for exploration. Dis had informed them that it had a somewhat roundish 'Y' shape. They were currently approaching the tail end of the 'Y' on which the docks were situated around since the other side of the island was shallower with extensive coral reefs around it. The house was situated right about in the center of the 'Y' and was just now becoming visible as well.

"Well, there's our island!" chirped an overly cheerful (in Thorin's opinion) Frerin. "Aren't you excited, brother?"

"Of course he is," Dis cut in before Thorin could get a word out. "only a complete workaholic with no life whatsoever wouldn't be excited about getting out of that dull office and away from those tiresome meetings and that tedious paperwork,

"We get the point Dis." Thorin cut her off. Dis just beamed at him as Frerin chuckled.

"Go easy on him, Dis. He works hard for the family. It's a noble cause, even if he does forget that he's also part of the family and should reap some of the benefits." Frerin's smirk belyied his statement.

Thorin just shook his head and wondered if he was going to get any peace during this so called 'vacation.'

Within minutes, they were pulling up to a decent sized dock, big enough to keep up to six small yachts. The docks were situated on one side of the tail end of the Island. As Frerin and Thorin got the boat situated and tethered, Dwalin hopped off the boat and headed towards a sturdy looking garage situated beside the docks on the island. The manor wasn't quite within comfortable walking distance, especially with luggage, so several luxury golf carts were kept near the docks for transportation. By the time Dwalin had a couple of four seaters with luggage racks out, the others were ready to load up and head to the manor.

The ride to the manor was a short 7-8 minutes and soon they were parking the carts under the carport right outside the front entrence to unload. The grounds were beautiful. Beautiful lawns and elaborate gardens with intricate water ways and fountains surrounded the large manor. The manor itself was also beautiful and intricate. It was shaped much like the island itself, starting in the center of the island facing the tail of the 'Y' and then seemed to reach out along both sides of the 'v.' It wasn't a huge house, at least by millionaire standards, but it was easily large enough to house their entire extended family comfortably. 

The beachhouse, for that was what it really was, was an elegant two stories. Almost the entire top floor was surrounded in balconies, the bottom floor was no different surround by extensive porches and sun rooms. The house itself was very open and spacious. Large windows and glass sliding doors brighted the many different rooms and provided multiple views of the surrounding landscapes. The back of the house opened up towards the bay and had multiple patios and gazeebos, some of which were built on stilts out on the cove itself. 

The layout was beautiful and elaborate. Even the bay itself had been designed for luxury. The inner cove had a gradual sandy incline perfect for a swimming area and was walled off from the rest of the bay by a sturdy rock breakwater which only had one protected inlet to allow water in and out and prevent all but the tiniest fish from entering the protected cove. Beyond the cove was a deeper bay filled with colorful coral reefs stretching out into the ocean perfect for exploratory scuba diving. The island, it seemed, was perfect.

"So, what do you think, brother? Is it not the perfect getaway?" Dis pulled him out of his silent observations.

"It is . . . nice." 

"Nice?!" Frerin scoffed in disbelief. "This place is paradise." He swung his arms out to encompass everything. 

"Funny you should say so, since it is in fact named 'Paradise' or rather "Hidden Paradise" since it is a private island." Dis informed them. 

"Seriously?" Thorin scoffed, "Isn't that a bit . . . cliche?" 

"I think it's appropriate." Frerin asserted. "It's our own little piece of paradise. Welcome to paradise, brother," as he threw his arm around Thorin, "don't waste it, ey? The company will survive without you there to overlook every little thing."

Thorin just rolled his eyes and shook his head. "So, what exactly are we supposed to do in paradise?" He was already prepared to be bored out of his mind.

"I'm so glad you asked." Answered Dis. "Boys!" Fili and Kili had been running around the house trying out all the furniture and exploring every corner, but came running when she called. "Have you found your room yet?"

"Yes!" "Its the blue one!" They responded, talking over each other.

"Good. Now, over on that end of the lawn is a special water park/playground that I had made just for you." She said as she pointed to the west side of the island. "The water works should already be running. You can go play on it whenever you want, as long as you let one of us know where you are. But, before you go, what are the rules?"

"Don't go exploring without an adult and don't go into the water without an adult." They repeated like a mantra.

"Good. Now, go put your things in your room and you can go check out the park. And Fili, don't forget your sunscreen. Do you need help putting it on?

"Moooom," Fili groaned. "I'm eight years old. I can do it myself."

"Fine," she replied, "but don't forget it."

"Yes, mom."

"What about Kili?" Thorin asked.

"Fili is more fairskinned; he burns easily. Kili will just tan." She waved off unconcerned. "Now, for my big boys," She turned to them, "Frerin, for you there is a cutting edge game room and a nice billiards room just that way," she pointed.

"Sweet!"

"For Vince, there is a fully stocked painting loft upstairs and a yoga pavillion,"

"Thank you, my love." As he placed a kiss to her cheek.

"For you, Thorin, there is state-of-the-art weight and workout room. Honestly, I didn't know what else to prepare for you since you don't really do much else.

Thorin sent his sister a half-hearted glare. "Thanks."

She continued as if he hadn't said anything. "For everyone, there is a shed and a small dock on the eastern shore equiped with enough of all of the latest water sports equipment, including surfboards, water ski's, jet ski's, motor boats, scuba gear and fishing gear for the whole family. And there are no less than three different bar and lounges on the island. One here in the western end of house, one out on the eastern patio and another out on the cove. So you see, brother dear, there is plenty here to do to keep your mind off of work." She looked at him with a raised eyebrow daring him to argue. He wisely didn't. 

"And what about for you, Dis?" Vince asked, "I can't imagine you'd enjoy most of those things." 

"I have a personal spa with a tanning deck on the east side of the island overlooking the water park." She said airily. "Now," she continued, "let me show you all to our rooms and then we can all get about enjoying our little island." She turned and led them from the large sitting room they had been standing in. 

"While we're here, we'll only have one housekeeper on the premises." She began explaining as she led them upstairs to their respective rooms. "Normally there are several maintainence staff here on the island to keep it clean and running smoothly, but I figured that while we are here we would appreciate the privacy. I gave the housekeeper the day off today so we can get settled, but she will be back in the morning as will my spa ladies. The other maintainence staff are on call should we need them for anything. This room is ours, love." She directed at her husband when she stepped up to the doorway to a large bright bedroom. 

She continued on a ways before stopping at another door on the opposite side of the hall. "This one here is Frerin's and the one right over there next to Vince's and my room is for the boys." She continued walking down the hall and stopped in front of another door. "This one is yours, Thorin." She said with look of significance. "I shall leave you to get settled then." She then turned to lead Dwalin to his room downstairs.

Thorin watched them leave then turned to the room she had led him to and opened the door. His first thought was that is was very bright. He gazed around the room taking it in. The walls were a soft bluish gray. There was a king sized four poster bed shrouded in thick curtains in a similar bluish gray color. Normally, he would consider such extravagence as overly excessive, but, considering that the back wall opposite the door seemed more window than actual wall, he figured it was probably designed to be more practical. 

The back wall was indeed more window than wall. A set of glass sliding doors were set closer to the right end of the room leading out to a decent sized private balcany. On either side of the glass doors there continued several more feet of glass before it returned to solid wall. And, since that obviously wasn't enough windows, there was another large floor-to-ceiling window running parallel to the bed. This one did not open up to the balcony and thus provided a more unobstructed view of the surroundng scenery visible from the bed. 

Furniture wise, the room was pretty basic. There was a set of drawers, a night stand, a desk and an entertainment system. He noticed a door on the left wall near the bed and walked over to investigate. It opened up into a private bathroom adjoined to a small walk-in closet. Curious, he wandered in wondering what could be in it because he barely owned anything but formal wear. To his surprise, it was full of casual summer clothes, which he knew he had never bought. He absently browsed stumped until he remembered what Dis had said about packing for him. Apparently, 'packing for him' actually meant 'bought him a whole new wardrobe.' He huffed. Why was he not surprised. Probably because it sounded exactly like something Dis would do.

He returned to his room and walked out to the balcany. The view was beautiful on this side of the house. His room faced the southeastern side of the island, which was all beach beyond the manors gardens. There were no trees, only some decorative hedges and shrubs, allowing for an unobstructed view of the beach and ocean. He leaned on the rail of his balcony and gazed out over the ocean. There was something about it, something that seemed to make some inner part off him unwind at the sight. He scoffed to himself. Maybe he really did need this vacation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to write more for this chapter, but I figured I should get it out there and this was a decent place to stop. I didn't get to proof-read as much so feel free to let me know about any mistakes.


	3. The Lost Lighter

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay! A longer chapter! I was beginning to think I was incapable. Let me know what you think. :)

After five days being on the island, Thorin was about ready to admit that he really had needed a vacation. If he wasn't so stubborn, he'd probably have admitted it all ready. But he was, so he hadn't. And he probably wouldn't unless backed into a corner. Fortunately, his family was content to leave him be for the most part. They probably considered it a win that he wasn't fighting his forced vacation tooth and nail. 

He scoffed to himself thinking about it. It's not like he enjoyed working all the time. He just didn't know what else to do with himself and it's not like he had a significant other to spend time with. He wasn't really good with the whole social scene thing. He was better suited to meetings and giving orders. 

He was currently sitting in his new favorite spot on the island. He was at the very end of the western fork of the island. Fili and Kili had dragged him out with them to explore this side of the island a couple of days ago. 

The western side had a higher elevation than the eastern side which allowed more plant growth. There was actually a decent sized wooded area once you got past the manor's gardens and yards. The boys had got bored with the water park after the first two days and decided they wanted to explore the woods. 

He had yet to have a turn supervising the boys so he had offered to spend the day with them. He chuckled to himself about their endless energy. At the time, it had seemed like they dragged him over every square inch of that side of the island, trying to climb every tree, peering under every rock, and chasing after every bug they could find. It had been exhausting trying to keep up with them, but he had felt strangly fulfilled at the end of it all. He couldn't remember the last time he really got to enjoy his nephews. 

They had hiked all the way to the end of the island. The ground level was several feet above sea level on this side, a good five or six feet if he had to guess; and instead of a gradual decline, there was a sheer drop from the ground to the water. In fact, the very tip of the island seemed to jut out over the water by at least a couple feet, though he couldn't be sure it wasn't far more from this angle. 

He had had to keep the boys very close while they explored this area. They hadn't brought their life jackets and he didn't relish the idea of having to jump in after them. Dis would skin him alive if anything happened to either of them. But nothing had happen and he finally lured them away with promises that the whole family would come up some time and have a picnic at the gazebo that had been built out here. 

He could see why someone would want it way out here. The view was beautiful. This part of the water was obviously deeper because it was covered in coral reefs. As he was right now, sitting at the edge with his legs dangling over the side, he was sitting right over top a colorful reef. It was fascinating to watch the world beneath his feet. 

The water was so clear, he could see right down to the sea floor. He was sure it was deeper than it looked, but it was near impossible to tell how deep it really was. There were fish and sea anemones of every color he could think of, not to mention the different corals. There was something captivating about it. He felt he could sit there for hours just watching the strange world under the sea.

Sitting here, alone, surrounded by the bewitching scenery, he could feel the tension drain from his body. It seemed to cloud his mind from any sense of time, yet clear it for so much else. He thought back to first day he had been on the island. After wondering around the house a bit, he was already at a loss of what to do with himself. Eventually, he had meandered to the bar on the western patio and poured himself a drink. He wasn't sure how long he had been sitting there before Vince had quietly sat down beside him. 

*****

_"She bought the island for you, you know." Vince finally said, his voice quiet and serene._

_Thorin regarded him. He used to hate Vince, back when Dis had started dating him. He had had darker blonde shoulder length hair and was clean shaven. Thorin had looked at him and seem a dormat with a dead-end job. He had been very wrong. Despite Vince's friendly, easy going personality, when it came to what he cared about, he would not be moved. Thorin had tried for months to scare him off with no success (and Thorin was known to be quite intimidating even when he wasn't trying)._

 _He would never forget the day Vince and Dis had come to tell him she was pregnant. Thorin had done his best imitation of an enraged dragon. Vince had just patiently waited for the storm to pass (occasionally dodging flying items) and then asked for Dis's hand in marriage. Thorin had refused at first out of spite, and Dis had to declare she was going to marry him with or without his approval before Thorin begrudgingly consented. Turns out, with a little sponsering, Vince had the making of being quite the successful artist too. He had also proven to be very good for Dis._

_The Vince before him now was older, of course. His hair was shorter now and he sported a short beard and mustach, but his demeanor was still the same. Thorin had come to find in him a comfortable companion._

_"She worries about you." Vince's voice cut through his memories. "They all do, but Dis more so."_

_Thorin wasn't sure what to say to that._

_"She doesn't like to see you waste your life away behind a desk."_

_"I do it for them." He thought they knew that._

_"She knows that. That's why she hates it."_

_Thorin couldn't win for losing it seemed._

_"That's why she insisted on buying a private island." He continued. "The rest of us would be content to visit any nice resort, but she knew you'd never really enjoy it, even if she managed to drag you to one. She wanted you to have someplace quiet where you could unwind and just be around the people you care about."_

_Thorin ran that through his mind a few seconds. "Why are you telling me this?"_

_"Because Dis worries about you, and I worry about Dis. I don't like seeing her worried. The island was a gift for you, a place of peace and rest. I don't want to see her gift go to waste."_

_So he was here for Dis. Thorin briefly wondered just how stressed his situation could have been making Dis for Vince to feel the need to interfere._

_"Besides," he continued before Thorin could respond, "I think it's about time you got to enjoy life a little. Just try not to be so stubborn you miss the opportunities, all right?" He gave Thorin's shoulder a friendly squeeze and when Thorin next looked over, he was gone._

*****

After that conversation, Thorin had resolved to, at least, not resist the vacation and, maybe, even try to relax and enjoy himself a bit.

It had seemed like it would be difficult at the time, seeing as how he was already bored out of his mind. But the more time he had spent near the water, the more he had begun to unwind. Untill he finally found himself actually enjoying his time on the island.

So, here he was. Sitting over the water enjoying the peacefullness of it all. He pulled a cigar out of his shirt pocket, one of his few guilty pleasures. Dis didn't really like that he smoked them, but didn't usually give him too hard a time over it. 

He pulled out his favorite lighter from another pocket. Frerin and Dis had it specially made for him for his birthday almost ten years ago now. It was shaped like an ax. The lighter was at the base of the ax handle. What made it really special was the ax head was actually a cigar cutter shaped like an ax blade. The tips of the blade flaired out to create finger holds to push the blade in towards the handle. It had a nifty little blade cover to keep the blade hidden. It was one of his few treasured possessions. 

After turning it over in his hands a few times he went to pull of the blade cover to cut his cigar. In that moment, his fingers seemed to turn to butter. The lighter slipped from his hands; he fumbled to grab it to no avail and he heard a dull 'plop' as it made contact with the water. He stared at it for a moment watching it sink and settle on a coral bed as it sunk in what had just happened.

He cursed under his breath. Of all the times to be clumsy, why did it have to be now. He looked at his lighter, calculating. He could still get it back. He'd have to break out his scuba set, but it should be easy for him to find once he was in the water, since he was right at the edge of the island. That is, as long as some water critter didn't decide to make off with it.

He sighed. There was nothing he could do about it tonight. The sun was already setting. He would have to come out first thing in the morning and hope it was still where he dropped it. If he had to, he would have it repaired, but he didn't want to lose it. 

He put the cigar back into his pocket and got up. He might as well head back, the sun was going down anyway. He headed back to the house resolved to head out early to retrieve his lighter.

~~~~~

He got up with the sunrise before anyone else was up and headed over to the eastern dock where the motorboats and sports gear was kept. He hadn't slept well, concerned that his lighter would somehow be gone when he went to find it. He grabbed his scuba gear, loaded up into one of the motorboats, and headed out to the western tip of the island.

He anchored the boat about 20 feet away from the edge of the island and suited up in his scuba gear. He decided to skip the wetsuit and just stick with the basics. He wasn't planning to make a day of it; he just wanted his lighter back. He made final adjustments to his gear and stepped off the boat into the water. 

From on the boat, he had been able to see that the edge of the island did indeed hang out by up to two feet (by his guess) is some places. Now that he was under the water though, he could see that the island protruded much farther than that. In fact, now that he was closer, he could see a large recess under the island. He wondered for a moment if it was safe to bring his family to the gazebo here, but dismissed the thought knowing that Dwalin would have mentioned any structural instability when he checked the island.

He Made it to the edge of the island and started looking for the particular coral that had caught his lighter. He continued to swim along the edge looking. The lighter should be easy to spot as the sunlight would have glinted off the ax head. He made several passes, swimming along the edge of the island. He was sure he had found where it had landed, but his lighter was nowhere to be seen. He sifted around the area where he was sure it had dropped, doing his best not to disturb the ocean life but still found nothing.

He was looking around in wider sweeps now, feeling frustrated, when he saw the light glint off something out of the corner of his eye. He turned his head in its direction but didn't see it again. He dismissed it and returned to his search. He decided to swim around a bit and see if he could spot it. 

He started with the niche under the island, carefully swimming into the recess under the island. He scanned the floor of the area which was surprisingly bear. The corals didn't extend far under the island. The only thing of interest he found was a spread out pile of rocks covered in thick sea grasses and algae. 

He was contemplating his find when he noticed that glint out of the corner of his eye again. He turned his head swiftly trying to catch sight of the source and realized whatever it was wasn't in the same place as the last glare he saw. He studied the reefs around him looking for anything out of place but still saw nothing.

He catiously left the niche and pretended to continue scanning for his lighter, but was really surreptitiously watching for whatever was causing the glare. He casually turned and headed in the direction of where he last saw it. He went slowly, so as not to miss it if it happened again.

Suddenly he was flashed with a bright glare, much brighter than the previous times. Before his eyes could manage to pierce the brightness, he felt a wave of water push against him. Just as suddenly as it appeared, the glare vanished. When he quickly scanned the area where the glare had been, he only barely caught a glimpse of a fin before it too disappeared.

A fish then. A rather large one judging by the size of the fin he saw, but a fish nonetheless. He must have startled it with his presence. He turned back towards the boat. He had tried to find the lighter, but it was clearly long gone. He briefly wonder if a large fish like the one he saw could (or even would) have eaten it. He figured it was more likely the the tide had simply pulled it out to sea though. 

He felt its loss keenly. It was just a lighter, but it was a gift that his siblings had had specially made for him and it was small enough to keep with him to remind him of his family when he was buried in work. He could ask for a new one, but he didn't want to admit that he had lost it in the first place. 

He pulled himself back up into the boat and began stripping off the scuba gear. It was almost 9:00; he could still make it back in time for the tail end of breakfast. He pulled up the anchor and headed back to the dock.

~~~~~

It was around 9:45 by the time he made it to the kitchen for breakfast. He hadn't bothered to eat before he left and was feeling it now. Dis and Frerin were still sitting out on the dining patio. He made a quick plate from the breakfast leftovers and poured himself some coffee before heading out to join them. 

"There you are brother! Dis and I were beginning to wonder if you finally made your escape" Frerin chirped cheerfully before Thorin could even get seated.

"Indeed, it's unlike you to sleep in so late. Are you not feeling well?" Dis asked with hidden concern.

"I'm fine. I wasn't sleeping." He mumbled between bites. "I was out on the bay."

"On the bay? Doing what?" Dis asked almost incredulous.

Frerin was studying him now. "You were swimming." He blurted out like it was unbelievable.

"I was diving." Thorin corrected.

They were both looking at him now like he had grown a second head. "Alone? Why? We would have been happy to go out with you. Why did you go out so early?" Dis's tone was bordering on hurt now. Clearly she though he didn't want to do things with them.

"It wasn't for fun." He scramble to explain. "I thought I saw something in the water yesterday and wanted to check it out." Technically it wasn't a lie.

"What kind of something?" At least now Dis only sounded suspicious.

"Was it the ghost? Frerin was entirely too excited.

"There is no ghost." Dis and Thorin replied at the same time. 

Frerin looked back and forth between them like it was some great joke. "Then what was it?"

"A fish." Thorin replied.

"A fish." Frerin repeated looking like he was deciding whether he believed him or not.

"A big, shiny fish." Thorin affirmed.

Frerin scoffed, clearly not believing him.

Thorin thought it best to change the subject. "Where's Vince?" 

"He's at the water park with the boys." She regarded Thorin and finally returned her attention to her fashion magazine. 

Thorin finished up his breakfast in silence and Frerin eventually wandered off to find some 'fun.'

The rest of the day was largely uneventful, save for the afternoon when they packed up a picnic dinner and they all hiked out the the gazebo on the western point. They kept it simple, just sandwiches, cold salads, and chips (all which the housekeeper prepared of course), and they enjoyed a family dinner surrounded by the beautiful sea. 

The boys showed their parents the corals just off the island and Frerin talked about planning a fishing trip. Thorin was trying to listen but found himself getting lost in the view again.

When the sun started to set, they packed up and headed back to the house. Thorin stayed up later than usual at the bar, discreetly morning the loss of his lighter. He eventually accepted it was gone, deciding losing sleep wasn't going to bring it back, and headed to bed.

~~~~~

The next morning he let himself sleep in to make up for the previous morning and evening. By the time he made it down for breakfast, it was more of a brunch. The breakfast foods had been put away so he just grabbed a bagel and some coffee and headed out to the patio. 

This time it was only Dis waiting for him. "Morning." He rumbled.

"I was starting to wonder if you'd died in your sleep. You were sleeping this time?" She looked at him suspiciously.

"Yes. I decided to let myself rest. That should make you happy." 

"Good! It's about time." She conveniently ignored the second half of his statement. 

"What are the boys up to today?" He tried to cut her off before she could ask anymore questions. 

"They're down in the cove with Frerin. Oh! That reminds me." Dis pulled something out of her summer handbag and placed it on the table next to Thorin's plate.

Thorin swallowed thickly and stared at the very lighter he had spent all morning yesterday looking for. He picked it up and looked it over, trepidation stirring in his gut. "Where did you find it?" His voice a bit gravelly than usual.

"The boys found it on the patio out over the cove. I was surprised. I've never seen you leave it anywhere before and I knew you'd be worried once you realized it was missing. You did know it was missing, right?" She eyed him.

"I did." He answered honestly. "Thank you." There was no need to concern her; he would talk to Dwalin later. But first he needed to talk to the boys. 

Dis smiled and turned to watch the boys down in the cove.

Thorin was alarmed to say the least. He quietly finished his breakfast mulling over how his lighter could have made it back to the cove; there was a breakwater between the bay and cove. It couldn't have been pushed in by the tide. He needed to talk to the boys.

After lunch, Thorin volunteered to supervise the boys while they swam in the cove. The boys were in the process of wrestling over an inflatable chair when Thorin decided to broach the subject of his lighter. "Your mother tells me I have you to thank for finding my lighter."

"I found it first!" Yelled Kili.

"But I knew what it was and told you to take it to mom." Fili challanged in reply. Kili just stuck his tongue out. 

I wanted to thank you both for making sure I got it back." 

"You're welcome, uncle Thorin. Mom said it was important to you." Fili answered.

Of course she did. "She was right." He said tactfully as the boys continued trying to shove each other off the chair. "I was wondering if you could show me where you found it. I can't seem to remember where I left it." 

Fili gave a yelp as he was shoved off the chair into the water. "I can show you!" Kili declared and proceeded to paddle over to the patio unwilling to relinquish his newly won float. Fili had resurfaced and was following behind letting his little brother enjoy his victory for a bit.

Once Kili had made it over to the patio, he used the edge to pull himself along until he got to a particular spot. "I found it right here." He said patting the floor on the edge of the patio. "It was just sitting here, but it was a little wet, like water got splashed on it."

Thorin thanked Kili after he had finished and the boys went back to their wrestling. He stared at the patio floor trying to figure out how his lighter could have possibly traveled from the bay, not only into the cove, but onto the patio. He looked around surreptitiously. This was not the work of nature or an animal. Only a person would have understood its value to return it and, if it had been one of his family, surely they would have returned it to him themselves. 

He didn't believe in ghosts, so the only other option was a trespasser. But what kind of burglar returns items instead of taking them. Wait. Did that mean that he was being watched? Sure, someone could have randomly returned the lighter, but this felt purposeful, as if they knew he had been looking for it. And why out here on the cove? It seemed rather out of the way unless someone was coming from the bay, but the bay was blocked off by the breakwater.

Thorin was very confused now. Nothing seemed to add up. Whatever was going on didn't seem to be dangerous, but he would Dwalin know to be on the lookout regardless. One way or another, he was going to get to the bottom of this mystery.


	4. A Close Encounter

Bilbo was stressed. He didn't like to admit it. He wasn't the overly anxious type, not like his father. His father seemed to stress about everything. But these last several weeks had him jumping at nearly every ripple he felt. The moon had risen and he was floating around the reef nibbling algae and sea-grasses here and there as he contemplated the past one and a half moon cycles.

He was used to there being a handful of humans on the island at any given time, but they mostly stayed on the island and didn't spend much time near the water. But the island was bustling with humans. Boats were coming and going every day. For a while, the island was even rumbling from whatever they were doing up there. 

That had been really nerve wracking. He had been hiding out in one of the caves under the island when it started rumbling. He had been terrified of the island falling in on his head, but had been even more terrified of leaving the cave and being spotted by the humans. His father had drilled it into him to never let himself be seen. So, he had hid in the sturdiest crevice he could find and hoped the cave wouldn't crash in. 

By day, he had hid and only allowed himself to come out at night enough to eat and restock his food stores under the island. Being under the island wasn't his favorite place to be. He much preferred to be out under the sun and moon, gliding around the coral reef that made up his home, playing with all the little fishes, and tending his sea gardens. 

But he feared never being able to do those things again more to ever risk being found. At least, he though he did. But then the rumbling stopped, the bustling was gone, and it looked like most of the humans had left the island. Just when he thought that his life was about to go back to normal, a new boat arrived on the island. 

At east it was only one this time and it only had a handful of humans on it. He had hoped that they would have been quiet and content to stay on the island. He was wrong. In fact, there was at least one of them out in the water every day. If he counted the inner cove, they were in it every day! And the inner cove was noisy, but totally different than anything he had heard here before. 

It sounded like . . . laughter, but much higher and boisterous. He though it might have been children, human children. There had never been children on the island before. He tried to imagine what they would look like. It had always been just him and his parents; there had never been any other children like him when he was growing up.

He had seen plenty of humans from afar. But he didn't think any of them would have been children and, even if they were, he had never been close enough to see what they really looked like. He thought back on the morning of several days ago now with a shudder of part exhilaration and part horror. 

_9 Mornings Ago_

The sun was just starting to come up. One thing that he had learned about these new humans was that they didn't seem to do much until the sun was almost high in the sky. So, he had started to occasionally let himself sleep out on his sand bed that he kept out in the midst of the corals. He had several different sleeping spots, some more hidden than others. 

The spot in the caves was for emergencies. He had a spot under the very edge of the island. Not a cave, but just a recess in the rock big enough for him to hide comfortably. He used that when he need to stay out of view from the surface, but he could still look out over his sea gardens and watch the little fishes play.

One spot was made into a coral reef itself, he had found the little natural gap in a large coral a while back and had immediately set to carving a sleeping space into it. That was the one he normally used because he could be out under the sky, but still be hidden from most angles, or at least not perceivable from the surrounding corals. 

But his absolute favorite, and the one hes was waking up in this morning, was simply a little bear spot on the ocean floor in the midst of his sea gardens. He liked the feel of the smooth sand on his scales, so he meticulously kept it free of rocks and shells, which had been very difficult until he had decided to ring his bed in rocks large enough to keep most of that out.

He gave a great stretch, then wiggled his tail into the warm sand until it was half-submerged. He loved waking up under the sun. It was rare moments like these when he felt free, like he didn't have to hide all the time. He relaxed on his back running his hand through the sand. He must have started to doze off again because the sound of a boat churning through the water had him jolting awake in a panic. 

He bolted to his nearest hiding place. He wanted to get to his nook under the island, but he didn't have time to go far; he couldn't risk being seen. He hunkered down in the crevice he had wedged himself into. It was tight, but well hidden. He waited for the boat to pass, but instead it seemed to start slowing until it stopped completely only feet away from where he was hiding. 

He was beyond panicked now. Had they seen him?!? He didn't think their eyes were that good, but he couldn't really say he knew much about humans. The only thing he knew for sure was that they were dangerous. He stayed perfectly still letting his fins float with the currents and waited. After what felt like forever, there was a splash and there, not even twenty feet away from him, was a human slowly sinking into the water. 

He cowered instinctively. He knew he shouldn't, but he couldn't help it. The number one rule for close encounters was to stay perfectly still and blend in with the surrounding sea life. Fortunately, the human was not facing him and was now headed towards his nook under the island.

It seemed he hadn't been seen, but now he was alarmed for an entirely different reason. The human would find his sleeping spot. What if he knew what it was? He would know where Bilbo sleeps or at least hides during the day. He wouldn't feel safe there anymore. But there was nothing he could do about it. 

He stayed quietly in his hiding spot watching the human, feeling as though his home had been invaded. He soon became confused. The human had ignored his hiding nook and was swimming around in a small arc disturbing the sea life. Then it occurred to him. He must be looking for that shiny thing that had dropped down in front of Bilbo yesterday evening. 

He had known that the human was up there; he had felt the vibrations of his steps through the stone and water. When it had fallen in the water, he had assumed that he had dropped it in on purpose. After the human had left, Bilbo had scooped it up and hoarded it away with his other shiny treasures. 

Maybe he hadn't dropped it on purpose and really wanted it back, so he came out specially to find it as soon as the sun came up. Well, now Bilbo kinda felt bad. He tried not to take things that the humans cared about. He only took things that were left out or forgotten. He would never forget about something he cared about. 

He quickly resolved to find a way to return it and went back to studying the intruder. He couldn't see his face very well with those strange things attached to it. He felt kinda proud that he at least knew that those things were not a normal part of a human face. 

It was obviously a male human. Probably. At least, it looked more like a male, not that he particularly knew what the females looked like. For all he knew, they could look pretty much the same, but his father had always told him that they looked a lot like sea people only without scales and tails. 

Of course, he knew what legs were now, but that still didn't tell him much about human gender differences. But he was mostly confident that this human was a male. He might even be kind of attractive. Well, now Bilbo really wanted to get a better look. 

He fought with himself for a moment; he really shouldn't, but he desprately wanted to get closer. His curiosity won the fight and he found himself slowly inching out of his hiding place and cautiously gliding low to the corals to get closer. 

He had just reached a new dip that would cover him when the sun glared off his scales. He bolted down as low as he could and froze. His heart was trying to escape from his chest, but he stayed perfectly still. After a few minutes of not feeling any movement in his direction he cautiously began swimming along the sea floor. 

He needed to get away from where the sun had caught him, besides he was too close to the boat. The human would have to come back this way eventually. He slowly moved more to the right of his nook and inched closer whenever the coral layout allowed it. 

Finally, he was hunkered down maybe ten feet away from where the human was now investigating his hidden nook. He could see his face more clearly. He had . . hair . . on his face. His father never had hair on his face. He had never seen anyone with hair on their face. It was . . . attractive in an exotic kind of way. 

But, it wasn't just his face. His arms, legs and even his chest seemed to have a layer of dark hair, though the hair on his head was quite short. How bizarre. Sea people were typically smooth skinned. Too much hair slowed one down in the water. He guessed humans didn't need to worry about that.

His fingers itched to touch, to run through the strange hair. He had gotten so distracted that he hadn't noticed his tail floating up until another sun ray caught on his scales. He dived out of sight again and held his breath.

Blast his tail! Normally he preened over his shiny metallic colored scales, but right now he was wishing they were a duller color. His beautiful tail was going to get him caught! He suddenly realized that the human was now slowly moving in his direction. 

What was he going to do?!? He had seconds before the human would be within sight range. If he stayed, he would definitely be seen, if he swam away, it would be the same. His mind raced, looking for a way out. Suddenly, an idea came to him. He would get out of this mess the same way he got in it. 

His mother always did say he got her smarts. He rounded up all the courage he could find and went for it. He carefully lifted and angled his tail to catch as much sunlight as possible. The resulting glare was much brighter than the previous ones and Bilbo took the opportunity and bolted. 

He didn't dare try to go to far. He was only able to swim several feet before he dropped back to hug the sea floor behind some coral. But it must have been enough because a few moments later the human began swimming back to his boat. 

Bilbo melted into the sand in relief. His heart was still racing from the adrenaline and he was equal parts giddy and petrified. He couldn't believe he had gotten so _close._ He even got a good look at him and wouldn't mind getting another one. And he couldn't believe he got _so_ close. What was he thinking! His father would tied his fins if he was still alive.

A few minutes later the boat started up and left the bay. He was okay. He wasn't discovered. He wouldn't have to leave and find a new coral reef. Though, if he kept doing gutsy things like this it might only be a matter of time. 

When the boat was long gone, he pushed himself away from the sand and headed for his cave. He wasn't going to risk the human coming back again. 

_Present_

Bilbo continued drifting around his garden. That very night after his close encounter with the human, he had jumped the net that protected the inlet to the inner cove and placed the lighter where he hoped the humans would find it. It was a risk returning it at all, he had to get very close to the house. But he knew he would be upset if he lost something important, so he wanted to return it. 

Bilbo had been much more careful after that day and hadn't had any more close calls with the humans. He didn't know if the human ever got his shiny thing back, but he didn't come back looking so Bilbo thought that he probably did. 

He was a little disappointed; part of him really wanted to see the human again. But he was mostly relieved; it was terrifying to be almost discovered and he wasn't in a hurry to repeat that again. 

Still, he couldn't help but hope just a little bit that he would get to see the human again. It didn't seem likely now though. Just yesterday, the humans had all got on their boat and left the island. He didn't know if or when they would come back. Until they did, he would enjoy his short-lived freedom. 


	5. Stars on the Beach

It was almost six months now since their two week vacation. The remainder of their stay on the island had been free of any strange events. Neither Dwalin nor Thorin had noticed anything out of place. 

Thorin could now admit that he had kind of enjoyed their time on the island. In fact, when he was feeling particularly over worked, he found himself thinking of the island. He had begun wondering if he should inform his family that he was planning to visit the island again or if he should just disappear and let them figure it out. 

Turned out he didn't need to do either. About a month ago, Dis strolled into his office. 

_*****_

"Dis" He greeted while looking over some papers. 

"Brother." She returned as she sat down in front of him. 

"What can I do for you?" He asked after a minute of silence. 

"Kili's birthday is coming up in a month." She started. 

"I'm well aware of that." 

"He wants to have his birthday on the Island, so I thought we could turn it into another vacation. We'll get there a couple days early to get things ready and invite the whole family to the island for his birthday. Then we can enjoy the rest of our vacation afterwards." She approached the subject like she was expecting a fight. 

"Alright." He replied simply. 

"And it's been several months, so I think it's about time you took another vacation anyway. This job demands so much from you I don't know why you put up such a fight when it comes to taking time off." She continued like she hadn't heard him. 

"When are you planning to arrive on the island?" If the whole family was going to be there, he wanted some alone time before they showed up. 

"I insist you stay for the full two weeks, Thorin. I think it helped you unwind a lot lost time." She was still going. 

Thorin's leaned back and looked at her. "I said 'alright' Dis." He spoke over her. 

She looked at him in disbelief. "Really? Just like that?" 

"Yes." 

She was still a little taken aback when she got up to leave. "Okay. I'll let you know when we plan to head out then." 

"Thank you." He replied as he turned his attention back the the papers on his desk with a quirk of his lips.

He would make sure to make it to the island a couple days before they did. 

_~Bilbo~_

Tonight was the first night of the full moon. Bilbo was excited. He hadn't allowed himself the fully enjoy the full moon since all the ruckus had started on the island. But it had significantly quieted down since the last group of humans left, so tonight he was planning to take advantage of the opportunity. 

He waited for the last boat to leave for the night, these humans never stayed over night, and swam over to the south-eastern shore. 

This was the best shore to land on. It was all soft sand and not to steep. The eastern tip of the island was all rocks. He used to try to land there, but always ended up scraping his scales and ripping his fins. 

So he had decided that using the south-eastern shore was worth the risk. It was also easy to get back in the water on a hurry. So, he typically landed and stayed on that soft shore. He much preferred the feel of the sand to the rocks anyway. 

He swam until he was just past the dock on the eastern side and started swimming to shore. He swam until it was to shallow to swim anymore and then started to pull himself up the beach with his arms. 

It wasn't easy. Tails were heavy out of the water, but he eventually pulled himself far enough up he beach that the water couldn't reach him. He laid down on his chest and rested on the warm sand. 

As he rested, his tail dried and the moon's light reflected off the metallic colors of his tail. His tail shimmered with a magical light and, when it finally dimmed, he was left with two human legs in its place. 

He pushed himself up to his hands and knees and let himself get reacquainted with the weird appendages. He slowly stood up, quickly relearning his balance. He cautiously took a few steps to see if he would stay upright. 

After a few more steps, he felt confident enough to head to his favorite spot on the beach. He walked farther southward until he came to it. It was the smoothest part of the beach and had a gentle incline. 

He sat down to admire the view and feel the soft sand on his skin. After a little while, he laid back and looked up at the sky. This was the view he loved the most. The tide was on its way out, so he gazed at the stars while he waited on it. 

He got up when he decided that enough of the beach was exposed and stooped over the sand. He started drawing lines and markings into the sand. He had always love to create things, it it was difficult in a medium like water that is ever changing. 

Not that he didn't still find ways, like the shell necklace he wore. He had made it out of some old fishing line. But such materials weren't always available under the water. 

But this! Wet sand was an amazing medium for his art. He could cover the beach one night and come back the next to a completely renewed canvas. It was really the only reason he risked coming onto shore in the first place. 

He could lose himself for hours drawing lines in the sand.

_~Thorin~_

Thorin had arrived on the island only hours ago. Shortly after, the housekeepers had left for the night. He now had the island completely to himself. He kinda liked it. He had sat at the bar on the cove for a short while before deciding to turn in. 

What woke him, he couldn't say. But he found himself wide awake several hours later. He had lain in bed hoping to go back to sleep, but finally gave up. It was about three in the morning; the full moon shone brightly through his window. 

He finally got up and decided to sit out on his balcony. If he couldn't sleep, he might as well enjoy the view in the moon's light. He open the glass door, which slid open silently, and walked out into the night. 

He stepped up to the railing and leaned on it looking out over the shore. Just as he did, movement caught his eye. He focused on the movement and, there on the the shore, was a figure. It was hard to tell from this distance, but he guessed it was a man. He was moving around and stooping over the sand, like he was looking for something. 

Only Thorin was supposed to be on the island tonight. He saw the housekeepers leave. No one else should still be here. Instantly, he thought of the mysterious reappearance of his lighter. If this man was the intruder, Thorin was not going to let him get away. 

Thorin walked back into his room and out his door. He traversed the house as quietly as he could without turning on any lights. Hopefully, the intruder didn't know anyone was on the island. 

He left the house and quietly made his way through the grounds towards the beach were he had seen the stranger. As he got closer, he slowed down so he wouldn't give himself away. 

He could just see the man now. He was still stooped over the beach running his fingers through the sand. Thorin slowly inched closer to get a better look. The man was small, maybe five feet and had a smallish frame with a slender but firm build. He had short curly hair. And he was completely naked. 

At first, Thorin thought he might be a child, considering his size. But a better look at him suggested otherwise. What was a naked young man doing on Thorin's beach. He was going to get some answers. 

He slowly stepped onto the beach heading for the young man. He had made it to about twenty feet away from the distracted stranger before he was noticed. The small man bolted . . . straight for the water! 

Thorin took off after him. Thanks to his longer stride, Thorin managed to catch up to the man after he had made it only about ten feet into the water. The water here was still not very deep, only coming just above Thorin's knees. 

Thorin grabbed him by the wrist and yanked him back. The man turned to look at him, eyes wide with fear. 

He was definitely young, but not that young. He had a softly rounded face and a button nose. Thorin couldn't distinguish his colors, but he had large eyes and his unruly curls framed his face attractively. 

His observations didn't last for more than a second. Suddenly, the young man fell backwards heavily. Thorin was caught off guard and so was pulled down with him. In his surprise, he let go of the man's wrist. He caught himself on his hands and knees, but was instantly greeted with a face full of churned up sea water and sand. 

By the time he had righted himself and wiped the sea water off his eyes, the stranger was nowhere to be seen. He looked up and down the beach, the man couldn't have gone straight out to sea. He stayed where he was and waited for a good ten minutes, hoping the man would resurface. But he never did. 

He finally gave up and turned to head back up the beach. As he stepped out of the water, he remembered the man had been stooping over the beach so looked down to see whet he had been doing. 

The beach was covered in angular lines. Thorin was baffled. There didn't seemed to be any logic to them. He squatted down to get a better look. At each angle, their seemed to be a small whole with points sticking out all around it. It kinda looked like . . . a star. He stood back up to get a bigger view of the beach.

The lines and angles started clicking in his mind. He recognized these lines. He looked up and saw the same arrangement of stars in the sky. There on the beach was an almost perfect replica of the stars and constellations in the night sky. 

He started walking down the beach along the sand drawings. He walked a good fifty feet before he found the end (starting point?) of the beach constellations. Why would the young man be on his beach just to draw in the sand. 

He started walking back to his room. The mysteries just seemed to be piling up. But now he had a face to put with the mysteries, a very attractive face. He couldn't prove it, but somehow he knew that the mystery man was responsible for returning his lost lighter.

_~Bilbo~_

Bilbo was in a panic. He had been seen. He had been _caught_! He hadn't even heard the human coming until he was so close. He had been distracted, so sure that there was no one on the island. He had been wrong. 

When he had finally noticed the human approaching him, he had instinctively ran for the water. But the human was fast . . . and strong! He had yanked poor Bilbo back like it was nothing. And he was big! He was almost twice as wide as Bilbo and at least a foot taller. 

Oh, but his face! He was so much more attractive without those funny things on his face. For a brief moment, Bilbo had thought he might be okay with being caught by this human. Then reality set. He had no idea what this human would do to him. He had always been told to never be caught by humans because they were dangerous.

He had thought he was done for when his legs gave out to be replaced by his beautiful tail. He had never been so grateful for his tail. Almost as soon as he hit the water, he was swimming. The human had let go of him in the fall and he had taken his chance. 

He swam as fast as he could diving low to the ocean floor. He swam until he made it to his cave and he still didn't stop until he was deep in his cave safe and secure in his favorite niche. His heart was still rabbiting in his chest. Right now he didn't feel safe ever leaving his cave. 

He was sure he humans would be coming for him. He might really have to leave now. He didn't know where he would go. He was all alone. Traveling the open sea alone was very dangerous, but he didn't think he was going to have a choice. His father once told him that death by sharks would be preferable to death by humans. 

Bilbo wasn't sure what they would to to him, but he didn't want to find out. If they came looking for him, he would have to leave. 

_~Thorin~_

Dis, Vince and the boys arrived two days after Thorin had. Thorin had had the whole island to himself all day yesterday, but had been too distracted by curly hair and wide eyes to even remember much of it. 

He had spent most of his time wondering who he was, what he was doing on the island and where he could have gone. He couldn't even sleep without the youthful face claiming his dreams. With his family here, he was hoping to be distracted. 

Dis walked into the sitting room, dropped her bag on a chair, put her fists on her hips and glared at Thorin accusingly. "Why didn't you tell me you were coming here early?"

Vince and the boys walked in behind here. Vince was wearing a smirk. Clearly he knew this was coming. Dis had probably been ranting about it the whole trip here.

"I didn't think it was necessary." He responded. "I don't need to report to you with everything I do."

"You still could have told me." She crossed her arms and pouted. "We could have come with you."

Vince cut in, "I think that's why he didn't tell you, love." He said with a smirk and peck to the cheek.

She huffed. "So, what have you been up to then? What was so important you had to come two days early for?"

"Peace . . . and quiet." He smirked at her.

She scoffed and raised her nose at him. "Well, it's about time you learned to relax a little. You're welcome." She said haughtily. "Since you've had plenty of time to rest, I expect you to help us get ready for Kili's birthday. We only have days to get everything ready."

Vince chuckled. "I'm sure that will be plenty of time. Frerin should be here tomorrow. Besides you always have everything ready on time."

"More like she always over does it." Thorin grumbled but didn't refuse.

She glared at him. "You're the one who always gets them over the top gifts."

The boys were just returning from putting their bags in their room. Hearing the talk about gifts, Kili ran at Thorin. Thorin caught him just as Kili threw himself at him and picked him up. He was turning six and Thorin could tell his days of being carried were almost over. 

"What'd you get me, uncle Thorin?!?" Kili was already buzzing with energy.

Thorin chuckled. "You'll have to wait until your birthday to find out."

"Awwww!" Kili moaned. He always acted like he want to know what he was getting, but was always disappointed when he found out ahead of time. He said it wasn't a surprise anymore then. Kili wiggled, ready to get down and Thorin set him on his feet. The boys instantly took of for the park, having already changed into play clothes.

Dis looked at him suspiciously. "So, you really just came to relax?"

"Yes. Why else would I be here?"

"Oh, I don't know." She said innocently. "Dwalin said you had him looking out for anything strange. Did you notice something?" She looked at waiting to read his reaction.

He wasn't sure why, but he didn't want to tell anyone about the lighter or the man on the beach. "It was nothing. Dwalin said he didn't find anything." 

She was still looking at him. "Alright. Well, I'm glad you're enjoying the island . . . and taking some time off." Her look turned purposeful. "Better enjoy your rest for evening, because tomorrow and the day after, we will be very busy and the day after that we will have the whole family here."

Thorin shook his head. That's exactly why he wanted to get here early.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, not sure how pleased I am with it, but I wanted to move on. Let me know what you think.


	6. Birthday Boat

Dis spent the next two days instructing the men on what they needed to do to get ready for the big party. At the same time, the guys had to take turns keeping an eye on the boys to keep them out of the way of all the party preparation. But, as Vince had predicted, everything was ready by the time the day of the party arrived. 

Most of the family had arrived the night before, though Balin arrived first thing that morning. This was the first time the whole family was present on the island. Besides Balin and Dwalin, who were cousins of the Durins, there were also their cousins Oin and Gloin. Gloin brought his wife, Gilda, and their son Gimli. Gimli was about a little over a year younger than Kili, at a little over four and a half. 

The party went off without a hitch. Kili seemed to have gotten up with the sun and was vibrating with energy. Dis had barely managed to stall things until Balin arrived that morning. But, once Balin was there and everyone was up (some sooner than they had wanted), there was no reining the boy in. 

By lunch time, they were all half buried in wrapping paper and packaging. Kili had ripped into his presents with reckless abandon. It was a good thing everyone knew to avoid breakable gifts as he had shaken a good number of them before opening them. Fili had happily helped him with some of the bigger gifts. Kili was even more than happy to let little Gimli help him with a few. 

Kili was sitting in the middle of the large sitting room they were using, surrounded in all the latest, coolest high tech toys on the market when he came to a realization. "Wait!" He yelled like something terrible had happened. "Uncle Thorin! You didn't get me anything!" He half accused half asked. 

Thorin smiled. He was wondering when Kili would notice. "Of course I did." He reassured the boy, squatting down to his level as Kili ran over. "But it's too big to get in the house." He gave Kili a conspiratorial wink. 

Kili gaped with a gasp then squealed. "I wanna see it! I wanna see it! Where is it?!?" 

Thorin chuckled. "Calm down, calm down. It's outside. If you're ready for lunch, we'll go see it." 

"Yes!" Kili all but screamed. Dis was glaring at Thorin, like he was purposely riling up the kid. Though, Thorin suspected she was just jealous that Kili always seemed to like Thorin's gifts best. 

Kili bolted outside, all of his other presents seemingly forgotten. Fili and Gimli right behind him. Thorin chuckled again as everyone followed the boys out. By the time Thorin made it outside, the boys were searching everywhere, like Thorin might have hidden the present in the bushes. 

"It's not in the yard boys!" He yelled to them. "We have to go down to the recreational docks." 

He could feel several suspicious gazes as he led them all through the gardens and down to the docks on the southeast side of the island. Thorin briefly spared a thought to the curly haired man he had seen on this beach before he was calling to the kids to not get to far ahead. 

When they got to the docks, the boys were looking around in confusion."I don't see anything." Kili said with a hint of disappointment. "Did someone take it?" 

Thorin chuckled again. "No. We have to take one of the motorboats." He headed over to the biggest one. 

Dis was looking at him exasperatedly now and almost everyone else (besides the kids) were looking at him suspiciously. They all piled into the motorboat. Frerin untied the boat and push away from the dock as he got in. Thorin started driving the boat to the north. 

He could tell the boys were twitching from the suspense. He had been preparing for this surprise for quite a while now. He was looking forward to finally revealing it. 

As they came around the northeastern tip of the island, his surprise started coming into sight. There, anchored in the cove, was a large pontoon styled yacht. 

He heard Dis gasp somewhere behind him. Kili was sitting right behind him. "Is that it? You bought me a boat?" He didn't sound all that excited. 

Thorin chuckled at his nephew. "Your gift is on the boat." Kili looked a little appeased, but still a bit doubtful. 

Thorin carefully drove up next to yacht and Dwalin and Frerin help him tie the motorboat and pull down a boarding ladder. 

The ship was long and wide, but longer than it was wide. There was a large cabin in the center. The front end of the cabin was surrounded in solid walls, but the back section of the cabin was walled entirely by glass, with a large sliding glass door on each of the three sides. 

The deck surrounded the cabin on all sides, but was the largest on the back, where there were tables and lounge chairs. There was another deck on top of the cabin covered in a sun canopy and equipped with a bar and more tables and lounge chairs. 

They all shuffled into the cabin and were greeted by a well groomed man (who seemed to be prematurely gray). The man welcomed them. "Mister Durin, I have everything prepared as you asked. I hope everything is to your satisfaction." He gave a small polite bow. 

The other's were all staring at Thorin now. "This is Dori. I asked him to tend the boat and cater lunch for us." 

As if on cue, Dori moved aside with a wave of his hand in the direction of the buffet tables in the center of the cabin, then retreated to man the large bar near the front end of the cabin. 

Kili wasn't impressed. "Is this my birthday present?" He asked disappointed. 

Thorin almost felt sorry for the poor kid. "Not quite." 

Kili looked up at him in exasperation. Thorin just smiled and started walking to a door set across a hallway entrance from the bar. 

He came to a stop at the door. "You present is in here." 

Inside the door was dark and the boys looked at him in apprehension. He huffed a laugh and walked in first. 

The doorway open to a set of stairs which he carefully descended with the boys following him. Halfway down they came to a landing where it started to glow with a soft light. He could tell the kids were starting to get curious. Thorin led them down the rest of the stairs, but by the time they reached the bottom the boys were pushing past him. 

The door at the bottom of the stairs opened up into a completely submerged glass viewing room. The floor and walls of the room were made entirely of glass and the entire room was several feet below the water. 

The boys were gasping and squealing in delight. "This is so cool!" said FIli as he was following a fish across the glass. "This is the best gift ever!" Kili practically screeched. 

Thorin stood off to side grinning wide and laughing to himself at their delight, when the other adults started showing up. Dis was the first one down to investigate the 'gift.' Vince and Frerin were behind her, followed by Gilda carrying little Gimli. They were almost as floored as the kids. 

"This is the biggest underwater viewing room I have ever seen on a boat." Frerin was clearly impressed. 

Dis looked at Thorin in accusation. "This is why my kids always prefer your presents over mine. You always go way over the top." 

Thorin just shrugged at her and smiled. 

Kili ran at him so suddenly Thorin almost didn't catch him. "This is so awesome! I love it, Uncle Thorin!!" 

"Thorin chuckled. "Good. The boat will stay anchored here in the cove, so you only have to get someone to drive you out here. I promise I will bring you out often when I am here." He kissed him on the head and squeezed him before setting him back down to enjoy his present. 

Dis shook her head at him, but really couldn't complain about that. No doubt she hoped that meant that Thorin would come to the island more often. "Alright boys. Come up and eat something and then you can come back down." 

After everyone had made it back upstairs, they started in on the food. Dori managed both the food tables and the bar, preparing drinks as requested. 

The boys ate quickly then headed back down to the viewing room. Kili stopped to thank and give Thorin another hug before joining the others. 

"You're welcome. Anything for my favorite six year old." Thorin ruffled his hair and Kili disappeared down the stairs. 

The adults settled in to enjoy the afternoon, discussing Thorin's history of extravagant gifts. 

_~Kili~_

It was official. Uncle Thorin always gave the best gifts. Kili had been really disappointed when he had asked for a scuba set. 'Absolutely not!' was not the answer he had been hoping to hear. He didn't get why he couldn't have one, it's not like he could go out alone with it. (Though, that's not to say he might not try. Maybe his mom had a point.) 

Still, he had really wanted to be able to see the cove better. He was so glad he had mentioned it to Uncle Thorin. Cause here he was, watching the fishes swim around him and it was amazing. He didn't care at all that this was a gift he had to share with everyone, in fact, it just made it even better. He and Fili could watch together and talk about what they saw, something you couldn't do with scuba gear hooked to your face.

Kili was lying flat on the floor looking down through the glass. The view was amazing. The fish and other sea creatures just went about as if they weren't even there. He was watching a little blue fish bobbing in and out of a section of the coral reef, when a large fin caught his eye. 

He stared intently at it, hoping to see the rest of the fish it belonged to. It was a big fin, he was kinda glad he wasn't in the water if there were fish that big in it. It was a pretty pale golden color and was almost directly under him.

He didn't realize he had lost himself absently staring at the fin until he realized he was no longer looking at a fin . . but at a face! He jumped up to his hands and knees with a startled cry. And then the face was gone. 

Fili ran over to see what had scared his little brother. "What is it?" 

"There was a face!" Kili pointed at the reef. "There was a face in the water!" 

"What? Where?" 

"It . . it was right there. And then it was gone." 

Fili searched but couldn't find anything that looked like a face. "I don't know, Kili. I don't see anything." 

Kili didn't reply. He was still staring at the spot he had seen the face. Fili watched him for a few minutes before he decided that Kili was fine and went back to the spot he had left to check on his brother. 

Kili laid back down and watched the spot he had seen the face. He wasn't sure how long he had stayed there watching. He didn't remember ever sitting this still for so long. 

Just when he was about to give up and move on to a different spot, a pair of eyes met his. He very carefully did not jump this time. He didn't want to scare whatever-it-was away again. 

He stared into curious eyes. He could only see the top half of the person's face, but the curls that floated around her (it must be a her cause she was pretty) head stretching out in every direction were very visible. 

Kili smiled at her and slowly lifted his hand to give a small wave. 

Her eyes widened in surprise, but, a few seconds later, she eased more of her head out and gave him a shy smile. She waved back with a small, webbed-fingered hand. 

When Kili saw her hand, he looked back at her face. Now that he looked closer, he could see that she was definitely not a normal human. He thought that something seemed off about her eyes. But her ears were obviously different. 

They were longer and pointier. Instead of the rounder, curvier design of his own, her ears were flatter and ribbed with shallow webbing in between the short ribs. They looked like little, thick fins on the side of her head except that they ended in a gentle point. 

They exchanged curious stares for a few minutes, while he thought about what he was seeing. 

She was pretty. She lived in the water. And there was that large fin he had seen under there. He gasped (but still didn't jump up). She was a mermaid! He found a mermaid! She had to be! How else could she stay under the water like that? She must live here in their cove! 

Kili was so excited he almost started shouting, but caught himself before he did. Should he tell anyone? Even if he did, would anyone believe him? He knew the grown-ups wouldn't believe him and Fili liked to think that he was grown up, so he wouldn't believe him either. 

And he wasn't a hundred percent sure it was a mermaid, since he had never seen a real one before. It could be something else. Maybe he should keep it to himself for now. Besides, that would mean that he was the only one who would know about the mermaid for now, and he kind of liked that. 

He smiled at the mermaid again while he unashamedly stared and memorized her features. He hoped he would, but he didn't know for sure if he would ever get to see her again. The mermaid didn't seem to mind the staring and returned her searching gaze just as intently. 

He didn't realize someone was walking over to him until her face disappeared. Kili looked up to find his Uncle walking towards him. 

"It's dinner time. Your mom wants you to come eat something, since you didn't eat much for lunch. Besides, the sun's on its way down. The light will be fading soon. We can always come back tomorrow." Thorin tried to convince him. 

Tomorrow. He could come back and look for the mermaid tomorrow. 

He did as asked without a fuss. The mermaid would be his secret. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really liked the way this chapter turned out. It's a little shorter than I typically aim for, but I didn't want to cram to much in one chapter. Hope you like it. Let me know that you think.


	7. Discovery

It had been about a week since Kili's birthday party. Most of the family had returned back to home and work. Now, it was just the Durins and their immediate family (plus Dwalin of course). 

Kili had asked to go out to the boat every day since his birthday and had spent almost all day every day down in the underwater viewing room. He had spent so much time there that even Fili had grown bored and started wondering off to do other things, sometimes not even coming out to the boat at all. Kili didn't seem to mind at all and even seemed to enjoy having the viewing room all to himself. 

Thorin had been true to his promise and agreed to take Kili out every time he asked. In fact, Thorin seemed to enjoy his time on the boat just as much as Kili. Sometimes he would sit down in the viewing room with his nephew and listen to him jabber about about all the things he had seen.

Other times, like today, he would sit out on the deck with a cold drink and a cigar and enjoy the beauty that was the ocean, sometimes lost deep in thought, sometimes not thinking about anything, just soaking up the peace and quiet.

Today, though, he had a peculiar topic in mind and had been prompted by a conversation that had taken place at dinner the other evening. 

_~Three Evenings Ago~_

The family was sitting around the tables on the dining patio enjoying their dinner, not talking about anything in particular, when Kili had suddenly asked the strangest thing. 

"What do mermaids eat?" 

His question garnered the attention of everyone on the patio. 

"Why? You tryin' to catch one?" Frerin asked as if he wanted in on the scheme. 

"No. I was just wondering what they would eat down there. It's not like they could cook anything." Kili said nonchalantly. 

"Kili, you know mermaids aren't real," Dis corrected gently. "They're just pretend." 

"I know that!" Kili replied a little too quickly. "But, if they did, what would they eat? They wouldn't eat fish would they?" 

Everyone paused at the thought. "Wouldn't that be like . . cannibalism? Cause they're half fish?" Frerin wondered out loud. 

Vince chuckled. "Fish eat fish all the time. Being half-fish doesn't mean you would see other fish as equals. We eat other mammals. Personally though, I'd like to think they are gentle sea-grass eaters. They'd be kind of scary with shark teeth don't you think." 

Dis sent him a warning glare. 

"If they were real, of course." He added with a amiable grin at his wife." 

"But they're not." Dis finished for him. 

"So, if they ate fish, they would have sharp teeth, like a shark?" Kili completely ignored his naysayer mom. 

"That or a really big mouth," Joined in Frerin. "Fish who eat other fish usually have sharp teeth for killing or a big mouth for swallowing whole. But, a mermaid like that wouldn't be very pretty anymore." 

"So, if a mermaid didn't have a big mouth or sharp teeth, it would have to eat something other than fish?" Kili worked out. He looked at his plate. He had a pie of cherry pie set aside for dessert. "Would they like fruit?" 

"Maybe. I don't think they would get the chance to eat fruit very often, but that doesn't mean they wouldn't like it." Vince agreed with the possibility. 

Dis was starting to look annoyed that the silly conversation was still going. "They don't eat anything because they are _not real_." She said glaring at Vince and Frerin. "Thorin, tell your nephew that mermaids aren't real," she ordered. Her boys always listened to their Uncle Thorin. 

Thorin just smiled. He had found the whole conversation quite entertaining. "Why would I do that? Just because one has never been found, doen't mean they don't exist." He winked playfully at Kili who beamed at him. 

Dis gaped at him. "Since when did you believe in anything you couldn't see with your own eyes. Have you been spending time with my husband when I wasn't looking?" she asked accusingly. 

The whole family knew that Vince was never willing to discount the existence of anything just because it hadn't been proven. He would just answer that it hadn't been disproved either. 

Thorin just shrugged at her. Even he often didn't recognize himself these days. Spending time on the island had really loosened him up. When he was here, he felt free, as if he had no worries. 

Kili had seemed lost in his thoughts after that as he finished his dinner. And the conversation had been more or less dropped for Dis's sake. 

Frerin had steered the conversation elsewhere. "Mermaid or not, I think a scuba exploration is overdue. We should make sure we take a day for that this time." 

"I agree." Dis was grateful for the subject change. 

"I'm up for it." Thorin said mildly. "I'm out there everyday anyway." 

"What about us?" Asked Fili.

"Dwalin and I will keep you company on the boat," Vince answered. "We can watch from the viewing room and point them to where all the good stuff is." He ruffled Fili's hair in apology . 

Fili wasn't fully pacified. He thought he should be old enough to be allowed to scuba too, but his mother wouldn't hear of it. But watching could be fun too. 

_~Present~_

That had been the end of that conversation. Everyday since, when it was just Kili and Thorin, Kili would ask to bring some kind of fruit as a snack. Thorin had to chuckled to himself about that. He was sure Kili thought he was being discrete, but Thorin knew he was only bringing it to drop it overboard to attract 'mermaids.' 

Thorin thought it was harmless enough. He was sure something would eat Kili's 'mermaid bait,' he just hoped the boy wouldn't be too disappointed when it wasn't a mermaid. 

It was just him and Kili out on the boat today. Fili had stopped coming so much when he realized Kili was just looking for mermaids. Not that Kili complained, he would only ask to bring fruit when it was just him and Thorin. Today, he had practically thrown the fruit over the side before bolting down to the viewing room. 

Thorin chuckled to himself again. It had been Kili and his antics that had gotten Thorin thinking today while he lounged on the deck. Every night since the night Thorin had seen that curly haired man on the beach, his dreams had been haunted by his face. Thorin knew that the man was connected to his lighter reappearing somehow, but he couldn't bring himself to believe there was anything malevolent about him. 

He hadn't seen him again since that night, though it wasn't for a lack of trying. He often woke up in the middle of the night and shuffled out to his balcony hoping to see a figure on the beach again. He was disappointed every time, but he couldn't help himself from hoping that maybe next time he'll be there. 

He was still baffled by the man's disappearance into the sea. He had jokingly thought to himself at one point that it would make perfect sense if the man was a merman. Of course, then it wouldn't make any sense that he was on the beach (with legs) in the first place. Thorin wished he knew where to even begin looking for the mysterious stranger. 

The stranger had been dominating many of his thoughts lately. Tomorrow though, he would be sufficiently distracted. He, Dis, and Frerin were going to spend the day exploring the cove. He was actually looking forward to it. 

_~Kili~_

Kili was optimistic. He had been bringing fruit slices every day for the past three days, including today. Maybe today the mermaid would finally come out where he could see it. He hadn't seen her again since the first time, but he kind of understood why she wouldn't show herself if there were others around. But it had been just him lately, so he was sure she would be more willing to come out now. 

He had wasted no time in throwing the fruit slices (today was apples) over the side before heading down to the viewing room. He had been in such a hurry and had almost forgotten he was supposed to be being sneaky. If his Uncle Thorin had noticed, he hadn't said anything. He didn't really think Uncle Thorin would, though. After all, he hadn't outright rejected the existence of mermaids. 

Kili was lying on his belly with his chin resting on his hands watching out the glass wall for any signs of his mermaid friend. He had spied the apple slices he had thrown in. They were swaying to and fro with the currents where they had landed. He hoped mermaids liked apples.

He had lost track of how long he had been watching (as usual) when he saw the sunlight flicker off something shiny. He looked out in the direction of the glare, but didn't see anything. 

He didn't think anything of it until he saw it again. It was much closer this time. He stared at where he thought it had come from, wondering what kind of fish would be that shiny. 

His intent stare was soon rewarded by the appearance of a familiar curly haired head. Kili almost squealed with delight. But he didn't want to scare her away or make his uncle come running to check on him, so determinedly kept his mouth shut.

She stayed there, about twenty feet away, behind the coral she had used to hide and watched for what seemed like forever. Kili just smiled and waved at her, patiently waiting for her to feel safe enough to swim out into the open. 

Eventually, after carefully surveying the surroundings, she eased out of her hiding spot and cautiously swam towards the boat. 

Kili was nearly vibrating in place from the excitement. He had been right! She had a fish tail and everything! He couldn't wait to get a closer look and was silently trying to will her to swim faster.

To his delight, instead of swimming straight up to him, she detoured down to where the apple slices and landed and plucked one up. She seemed to sniff it curiously before taking a small nibble.

A second later she was popping the whole thing in her mouth and gathering up the other pieces. Kili grinned widely. So, mermaids do like apples.

Watching her swim around gathering the apple pieces allowed him to finally get a good look at her tail. He leaned into the glass, his hands and face against it.

Her tail was a lot bigger than he would have thought, making her easily longer than his Uncle Thorin was tall, and it glimmered and shined in the sunlight. Her scales looked like finely crafted golden plates, accented with some other darker colored metal. 

She had five fins besides her tail. One ran most of the way down the back of her tail. She had two long ones jutting out from where her hips might be (if mermaids have hips) and two more smaller ones farther down her tail. 

She used the latter four two push herself this way and that way as she gathered up the apple pieces. They were a pretty pale golden color to match her scales and were longer and more flowy than most fish he had seen.

She finished collecting the apple pieces and swam up clutching her tasty prize. She was chewing on one, sticking halfway out of her mouth, when she swam up directly in front of him. She floated evenly face-to-face with him and smiled around her apple.

Kili had sat up and leaned back, no longer pushing up against the glass. He smiled back. She was openly regarding him with curiosity while munching in her apple slices, so he figured he could do the same. 

He looked her over and realized he might have been wrong about something. Unless merpeople were very different than normal people, he was quite sure he was looking at a merman. Or at least a merboy. Kili couldn't really tell how old he was, since he didn't know much about merpeople. 

The only things he was wearing was a necklace and two bracelets made of small pretty shells. His scales didn't stop abruptly though, and seemed to thin out as they travelled up his torso and gradually gave way to smooth skin. So, most of his lower torso was, at least partially, covered with scales. 

His chest was bare though, and he certainly wasn't curvy like a girl. He was lean, his muscles clearly visible. Kili wondered if it was from swimming all the time. His mom always said that swimming was great exercise. 

So, he suspected his new friend was a boy, but Kili was perfectly fine with that. The merman had just finished his last apple slice and was now curiously examining the glass panel that separated them. 

He ran his fingers down it, wondering at the feel of it. Kili followed with his own fingers, wishing he could talk to his new friend. 

Suddenly, the merman's eyes widened and, before Kili could understand what was happening, he bolted away through the water disappearing behind part of the reef. 

Before Kili could even voice his question, his answer came in the sound of footsteps coming down the stairs. His uncle stepped into the viewing room and motioned for him to follow. 

"It's almost dinner time. We'd best head back so your mom doesn't miss us." 

Kili looked back out through the glass regretfully. He had wanted more time with his new friend. But, now he was sure he would get to see him again. He got up and followed his uncle back up the stairs. He would bring more apple slices next time . . and maybe some grapes, he thought with a grin. 

_~Thorin~_

The next morning everyone got up early, ate a quick breakfast, then headed out to the boat. Dori, whom Thorin had ended up hiring to manage the house on the island full time, would be catering the rest of their meals for the day on the boat. 

This time it would only be Thorin, Frerin and Dis going out. Dwalin stayed behind to take care of things in case anything happened and Vince stayed behind to keep the boys company.

Kili had been strangely anxious about the trip out today. Thorin was baffled by it. He had thought he would be looking forward to today. Thorin was putting his things in one of the inner rooms (there were several small bedrooms for longer trips) when he was finally sought out by his nephew. 

Kili had followed him into the room and closed the door behind him. Thorin turned to look at him expectantly. 

Kili seemed to be hesitating. "If you found something . . unbelievable . . and amazing . . what would you do?" He finally asked. 

Thorin's mind went instantly to the man he saw on the beach. "That depends." He answered cautiously. "Is this 'something' dangerous or harmful?" 

"What if it wasn't?" 

"Then I would leave it be." 

"But would you tell anyone about it?" Kili pushed. 

"Why? Is this 'something' a secret?" Thorin had no doubt Kili was referring to something very real and he suspected it had something to do with all the time he spent in the viewing chamber. 

"What if," Kili hesitated again, "what if telling people could hurt it?" 

Thorin was curious about what Kili could be so concerned about, but he considered his nephew's seriously, again thinking of the stranger he saw. "If it wasn't causing any harm, I would keep it secret."

"You promise?" 

Despite his curiosity, Thorin knew better then to push for anwsers right now. "I promise." 

Kili seemed reluctant to take his word for it, but finally nodded and quietly retreated from the room.

Thorin knew his nephew. Kili must truely believe that there was something that he needed to protect. But he couldn't think too hard on it right now. The others were no doubt waiting for him. 

He returned to the deck and joined the others in getting suited up and ready. Soon enough, the three of them were jumping into the water. 

_~Bilbo~_

Bilbo had grown complacent and he was deeply regretting it now. When he heard the motor boat enter the cove this morning, he had decided not to vacate the area in the hopes that he would see the friendly little human again and maybe get a few more of those tasty treats he had shared. 

He was gravely disappointed when, instead of tasty treats, three full grown humans dropped into the water. Now he had no chance of escaping without being seen by at least one of the humans. His only option now was to cram himself into his little cubbyhole as tightly as possible and hope that the humans over-looked him.

_~Thorin~_

At first, Thorin and his siblings swam around together around the boat, but eventually started to break up to explore different areas. Dis and Frerin and continued out in the opposite direction of the island. 

Thorin headed back in the direction of the island. There were some things he had noticed from the boat that he wanted to check out. 

He waved to the boys who were sitting in the viewing chamber as he swam by. Kili still looked really nervous, and only seemed to get more nervous as Thorin swam father in the the cove. 

Thorin couldn't do anything about it right now, so he returned his attention to his exploration. He remembered seeing something strange towards the center of the cove, so he started swimming in that direction. 

He soon found what he was looking for, but he still wasn't sure what he was looking at. It was a bare spot amongst the corals. It was completely bare of anything but smooth sand. There wasn't even a small rock or shell to be seen.

But that wasn't the strangest thing about it. The weirdest part was the almost perfectly round border of large rocks, the kind the covered the northeastern tip of the island, that seemed to section off the bare space. 

Thorin stared at the obviously man made structure. There was no way it was a natural formation. And, from the state of the sand, it was regularly maintained. There was no other way to explain the absence of any debris within the circle. So, it couldn't have just been something a previous owner had made.

In fact, it reminded him of the spot he had found under the island when he had been looking for his lighter. Something was going on here, but Thorin just couldn't put his finger on it. 

He decided to look around some more to see if there were anymore strange bare spots. He was wondering around to and fro, not really heading anywhere in particular, when a familiar pale golden fin caught his eye. 

He was no more than thirty feet away from the boat, when he spotted the fin. It seemed to be sticking out of a recess in the coral. Last time he had seen it, he hadn't had the time to find out what it was. This time he would satisfy his curiosity.

As he slowly coasted closer, he realized he had only seen the tip of the fin. It was quite large. He could see now that there was actually quite a large recess in the coral. Well, whether he scared it off or not, at this proximity, he would be sure to get a good look at it. He just hoped it didn't have large teeth. 

_~Bilbo~_

Bilbo was packed in as tightly as he could get, but he still couldn't keep that stupid fin from floating out. He was sure of it now. His beautiful tail would definitely be the end of him. He froze when he felt one of the humans start drifting towards him. He didn't even dare to move enough to pull his fin back in. 

When he felt fingers glide over his protruding fin, he had to clamp his mouth shut so hard to prevent from crying out that he thought he might have chipped a tooth. He still didn't dare to move, even as he felt the human drift closer to the largest opening of his hiding spot.

After what felt like an eternity but at the same time no time at all, he was staring into the bluest eyes he had ever seen and the familiar face of the human who had caught him on the beach. Despite the fact that he was so scared he didn't even dare breath, in the back of his mind he still felt fortunate that it was this human who had found him. 

_~Thorin~_

Thorin couldn't believe his eyes. There before him, tucked deeply into the coral, was the very face that had been haunting his dreams. Though it was slightly different (the ears were definitely different), those wide eyes and those curly locks were exactly as he remembered them. It took a few seconds for his mind to catch up and realize exactly what he was seeing. 

They were underwater. For a brief second, Thorin feared he was looking at a corpse. The curly haired man was still enough to be one. But, he was way too tense for a corpse, and his eyes were firmly focused on Thorin. The man still hadn't moved, so Thorin ventured a more thorough look over him. 

What he saw sent his head reeling. The top half was definitely a man, but the bottom half was all fish. For a moment. he though that the man was being eaten by some kind of fish. But as he stared he could see that there was no fish head or mouth in sight. No, that fish tail was definitely attached to this man. And there were more of those pale golden fins that he had seen.

He looked back to the man's (merman's???) face with wide eyes. If it weren't for the scuba gear, his mouth would be hanging open. Suddenly the 'merman' opened his mouth and seemed to take in a large gulp of water. Thorin watched as little flaps of skin on the back sides of his neck were lifted with every gulp the fish-man took.

He suddenly realized that he was watching the man breath and that those flaps must be gills, which also meant that the poor man hadn't been breathing when Thorin found him. He belatedly considered the situation from the fish-man's point of view. He was obviously terrified of being found. 

That thought reminded him of the conversation that he had had with Kili just this morning on the boat. Did Kili know about the fish-man then? Was that why he had been asking questions? He looked up over the coral back at the viewing room for Kili. His eyes met Kili's and his suspicions were confirmed. 

Kili had a look of absolute terror on his face. He knew exactly what Thorin had found. Now that Thorin was looking up, he realized that Frerin and Dis were both heading in his direction. He looked back face nestled into the coral. He could tell the fish-man knew others were coming, too. Thorin thought he might be hyperventilating (if that was even possible) and he had the most heartbreaking pleading look on his face. 

Thorin's mind flashed back to the conversation he had with Kili. He didn't even hesitate. He immediately pushed himself away from the coral and swam up to meat his siblings. He motioned for them to follow and began leading them away. He guided them over to the strange rock formation that he had found (which now made a lot more sense). All he had to do was keep them from exploring that particular area. 

Thorin desperately wanted to go back and learn more about the strange water dwelling man, but he would be true to his word to Kili and do his best to keep the terrified creature a secret. But he had every intention of finding out more later. 

_~Bilbo~_

Bilbo hadn't been able to help it. He was starting to feel light-headed. He just had to breath.

Fortunately, the human never made a grab for him. He didn't know what he would have done if he had. And when the human pushed away suddenly, Bilbo was sure he was going to return with the other humans he was swimming with. 

But he hadn't returned. In fact, the humans didn't even approached his hiding spot. They only came near once on their way back to their boat.

After they were all out of the water he waited until he was sure the see-through walls were empty then he wiggled out of his hiding spot and bolted to the caverns under the island. He had had enough excitement for one day. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bilbo's design is based on the Butterfly Koi. A Butterfly Koi's fins never stop growing, so they grow much longer than a normal Koi's fins and have a flowing effect. Each scale is two-toned, giving his tail an interesting color effect. Kili identifies one of those colors to be gold, but can't identify the other color. In the below examples, the gold would be on the innermost and outermost parts with the mystery color in the center. Metallic coloring can also be seen in koi.  
> [ Butterfly Koi ](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/ab/1a/fa/ab1afa7c8b2159e2ac2b390b3f3aa423.jpg)  
> [Example of golden koi](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0811/6875/products/DSC_0038_3a0e6c3d-193d-4103-aed2-cce54721f7e3.jpg?v=1495209025)  
> Bilbo's scale pattern:  
> [Example 1](https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/db/26/25/db2625a0c7533f9f0b16bba1cdc4f1fb.jpg)  
> [ Example 2](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/c7PMoglomAI/maxresdefault.jpg)  
> As usual, let me know what you think. :)


	8. Friendmaking

The rest of the day passed without any more signs of the merman, but there were several significant looks exchanged between Thorin and his nephew. 

Thorin could tell that a Kili was dying to talk about it and nearly had to avoid him to make sure the boy didn't let anything slip.

After all, this was Thorin's secret now too. And he wasn't ready to share it with his siblings yet. He wanted time to find out more about the mysterious merman.

That evening Thorin invited Kili to come back out to the boat with him the following day. Kili said yes, to no one's surprise and the next morning found them driving out to the boat right after breakfast. 

The first thing the Kili did when he got on the boat was run to the side and drop the whole bunch of grapes he had brought with him. He didn't notice his uncle had followed him.

"So, does he like them?"

Kili startled panicked until he remembered his uncle already knew. "He liked the apples."

"That was a lot of grapes." He said following his nephew down to the viewing room.

"I feel bad about yesterday. I hope he comes back." Kili said like he suspected the merman wouldn't.

They got down into the viewing room and settled on the floor near the glass wall. Kili spotted the grapes he had tossed in and sat back to wait.

"How long have you known about him?" Thorin started.

"Since my birthday. I only saw his face though. I thought he was a girl."

"You saw him again?"

"Yeah, the day before yesterday when it was just us. He ate the apples I gave him and he swam up to the glass. That's when I found out he was a boy." Kili explained.

"Was he friendly?"

"Yeah, he waved and smiled. He only left when he heard you coming."

"He could tell I was coming?" Thorin suspected the merman must have some pretty sharp sense to go undetected for so long.

"Yeah, he knew it before I did."

Thorin was quiet for a while.

"His tail is really pretty. It looks like metal and it shines in the sun. Did you see it?" Kili looked at him.

Thorin thought back. "I saw his tail, but I didn't really have time to admire it."

Kili was quiet for a minute. "Maybe he'll come today and you'll get to see it."

Thorin didn't want to disappoint his nephew, but he highly doubted that the merman would come back today. Yesterday must have given him quite the fright. He would probably lay low for a while. "Maybe." 

They were quiet for a while. "Are you going to tell them?"

Thorin shook his head. "Nope. This is our secret." He smiled at his nephew.

Kili beamed back at him.

They spent the whole day down in the viewing room, hoping to get another glimpse of the elusive merman, but, he never showed. Thorin comforted him reassuring his nephew that they could come back tomorrow.

They did. In fact, they spent everyday out on the boat, but the merman never showed up. It was their last day at the island and Kili was very disappointed.

"Maybe next time. He's probably just hiding out because we scared him. We'll come look for him again next time we come to the island." Thorin comforted his nephew as they climbed back into the motor boat to head back to the island.

Kili was still disappointed, but it seemed to help a little knowing he would get to come back.

They all left the island the next morning and Thorin was already wondering when he would be able to make it back.

_~~~~~_

Several months went by and Thorin was getting desperate to get back to the island. It had been nearly four months, to be exact. He had wanted to go sooner, but he was having difficulty picking a good time.

He knew the rest of the family used the island for their own personal vacations and it seemed like everyone had been taking vacations lately. 

His dreams had been completely consumed by the mysterious merman and he was starting to think he might go insane if he didn't find out more about him soon. But, tomorrow, he would finally be heading out to the island. 

He finally managed to arrange things with Balin so that he could quietly take some personal time off and have the island to himself and he was leaving first thing in the morning. 

He had already called ahead to let Dori know he would be coming and asked him to stock the boat for him. He was determined to see that merman again if he had to live on that boat for a week to do it.

The next morning saw him heading out for the island. When he arrived that evening, he didn't even go into the house. He didn't even stop at the island! He drove right around and docked his small yacht directly to the boat. 

He felt himself unwind almost instantly as he stepped unto his boat. He dropped the few things he had brought into the bedroom he would be using before heading down to the viewing room.

It was already getting dark, but he wouldn't be able to sleep until he at least checked for any sign of the merman. He had known he probably wouldn't find any, but he was a little disappointed anyway.

He settled himself in for the night, determined to get an early start tomorrow. Fortunately, he had Dori stock lots of fresh fruit.

Despite his anticipation, he slept wonderfully that night. In fact, he didn't ever remember sleeping so well. Rocking on the gentle waves, he slept soundly to the lullaby of the ocean. 

He had set his alarm for sunrise, but he seriously considered sleeping in when it woke him from his peaceful slumber. He had been dreaming of the man on the beach again (though he knew now he wasn't just any man), but his dreams had been a bit more suggestive this time. He was a little disappointed he didn't get to see where they were going.

But he pulled himself out of bed, cleaned up and made a quick breakfast which he took down with him into the viewing room. He sat down and made himself comfortable. He ate his breakfast and resolved himself to sitting quietly for most the rest of the day.

He had been sitting for a couple of hours and was contemplating what kind of chairs he needed to buy for the viewing room. Kili may be young enough to sit on the hard glass for hours, but Thorin was beginning to wonder if he was even going to be able to make it up the stairs for lunch.

He was thinking, not really paying attention, when a familiar, but weak, glare reached his eyes. He started. There was no way he could be that lucky. He stared hard out into the water, trying to find where the glare originated from.

At first he didn't see anything, but after a few minutes he noticed a consistently shiny portion of the water quite a ways into the cove from the boat. Thorin was sure it was his mystery merman, as it seemed to wander and float about. Now he just had to wait and hope he got close enough for Thorin to see him. 

After several hours of Thorin daring to do little more than breath, the merman was finally close enough for Thorin to make out his features. It was around lunch time now, and Thorin had been sitting watching the shiny figure wander back and forth across the cove gradually getting closer. 

Thorin willed his hunger away. There was no way he was going to miss this opportunity. Even if he did feel a little like a stalker, but it's not like he was hiding or anything. He was sitting out in plain sight. The merman just hadn't bothered to check to see if anyone was in the viewing room and that was hardly Thorin's fault. 

He had been wondering what the merman was doing going back and forth, now that he was closer he still wasn't entirely sure. The merman would bring his hand to his mouth occasionally, so Thorin thought he might be looking for food.

But that didn't explain some of his other behaviors. Sometimes he would stop and examine a sea anemone, or dig around in the sand, or do something else Thorin couldn't quite decipher. 

He was close enough now that Thorin could see him pretty well. Kili was right, his tail was beautiful. It shimmered and shined in the water as the sunlight reflected of his scales. He seemed to move effortlessly through the water.

Thorin stared captivated by the graceful movements of the elegant being. His tail and fins were long and flowing. His hair floated and swayed about his head creating a golden halo of curls. 

The merman looked so unreal. Thorin scoffed at himself, of course he did, he was a _merman_. Almost as soon as the sound left his mouth, his eyes were met by wide greenish eyes from outside the glass.

Thorin froze. He couldn't have possibly heard that. The merman had also frozen and was staring at him with wide eyes. Thorin was almost certain that any movement on his part would have the flighty creature zipping out of the cove. he didn't know where the merman hid, but, wherever it was, it was a very good hiding spot. 

Thorin barely breathed, waiting for the merman to do something, anything! Though he hoped that he wouldn't bolt. They were a couple of minutes into their stare down, when Thorin's stomach growled loudly. It was well past lunch now and Thorin had only had a small breakfast.

He nearly cursed, but, when he saw the merman's head tilt and his brows furrow in confusion, he couldn't help but smile and chuckle to himself. The merman's eyes widened again in surprise. He hadn't made a run for it yet, and Thorin considered that a good sign.

Thorin still had a small smile of amusement when he decided to risk a small wave. The merman tilted his head again and considered Thorin.

Gradually the merman began to relax. He didn't some any closer, but he didn't turn to leave either.

Thorin slowly got up, stretching his aching joints and stiff muscles from sitting on the floor for so long. He needed to go eat something. But he knew that this was a win, even if he didn't get to see the merman again today. 

He didn't think the merman would try to avoid him anymore, which meant his chances if seeing him dramatically increased. Thorin would leave him be for the rest of the day. He didn't want to exasperate the creature. 

The merman had gotten a little closer and was watching Thorin as he worked out his kinks. Thorin gave one more small wave before slowly heading to the stairs leading up to the cabin, the merman watching him as he went. 

Before making his own lunch, he sliced up and apple. He took it and leaned over the rail looking for the tell-tale shimmer of the fish-man. He didn't see it, but he suspected that he wasn't far, so he dropped the apple slices into the water. 

After that, he made himself some lunch and decided he would lounge on the deck for a while. He looked for the merman one more time after dinner, but by then he was no longer around. He turned in for an early night, excited about the possibilities for tomorrow. 

He decided to let himself sleep in a little later the next morning, but was up shortly after sunrise anyway. He washed up and grabbed his breakfast before heading back down to the viewing room.

To Thorin's great surprise, the merman was already swimming around the cove, easily within sight of the viewing room. Apparently, Thorin wouldn't have to wait to see the merman today.

He sat down near the wall of glass and ate his breakfast, watching the merman swim about. The merman seemed to go about his business, not minding that Thorin was watching him.

Thorin finished his breakfast and sat watching the merman, he felt that being given this privilege alone was a huge step. After watching for a little while he realized that the merman was indeed grazing.

He got up slowly, waiting for a reaction. When he got none, he went upstairs and picked out several nice apples. He sliced them up and put them in a large bowl. He took the bowl and unceremoniously dumped it over the side.

He set the bowl down on his way back to the viewing room. He had to restrain himself from dashing down the stairs like his six year old nephew to see if the merman was eating his offering. But he kept a brisk pace.

By the time he got down there, the merman was on his way over to investigate. Thorin watched as the merman eagerly scooped up the apple slices. Thorin had to chuckle as the merman tried to carry more than he could fit in his hands. He was shoving some into his mouth, trying not to miss or lose any.

Eventually the merman gave up trying to carry them all and started piling them into a little dip in the coral like he would a bowl. Thorin raised an eyebrow as the merman seemed to spread out on his stomach and lounge on the reef languidly savoring his apple slices.

Thorin wondered if they could really be that good considering he was eating them with salt water, but he figured everyone had their own tastes and he probably didn't get anything like fruit in the sea.

Thorin watched him as he ate. The merman was letting his fins float with the currents. He was nearly right under Thorin now and he couldn't help but marvel at the creature.

After the merman had finished eating, he lay down his head and seemed to drift off to sleep. Thorin felt immensely honored that this fantastical creature would trust him enough to let down his guard. He watched for a while. By the time lunch came around, he felt he had imposed enough for the day. 

When he returned to the deck, the merman spared him no more than a glance. Thorin felt good. He had had two successful days with the merman and had already accomplished more than he realistically thought would ever be possible. 

He went to bed that night confident that he would see the merman again tomorrow.

And the first thing the next morning, he did. Only, he wasn't just swimming around the cove. He was swimming circles around the viewing room! He was circling it so close that his fins would drag across the glass.

When Throin walked up to the glass, the merman swam right up eye level to him and puts his hands on the glass. Thorin almost jumped at the creature's forwardness. He wondered at the change in behavior until he realized what the merman was looking at. 

He was practically devouring Thorin's breakfast with his eyes. Thorin laughed, thinking to himself that this is why they tell you not to feed the wildlife. Thorin nodded at him and went back upstairs to slice him up some apples.

He threw them overboard and returned down to the viewing room to eat his own breakfast. He watched as the merman gathered up the slices, repeating his actions from yesterday. 

Thorin was still sitting in the viewing room when the merman finally finished his apples. Instead of settling down for a nap like he did yesterday, the merman swam up the the glass and unashamedly began studying Thorin.

The merman put his hands on the glass to steady himself in the currents. He seemed to be taking in every detail of Thorin's person.

Thorin could see the curiosity in his eyes, but there was something else there as we'll. Thorin studied his face, tying to place what he was seeing there along with whatever seemed off about his eyes.

The merman met his eyes after a moment answering both of his questions. Thorin watched as the tiny specks of pupils at the center of his eyes widened. His pupils were tiny, barely perceivable at first, until they widened. He recognized that reaction. He knew desire when he saw it.

He preened a little bit, pleased that he was found desirable by the strange merman. The feeling was mutual. Despite the fish tail, which he wasn't sure yet how he would work around, he found the man remarkably cute. 

They studied each other a little while longer until the merman froze with wide eyes. Before Thorin knew what was happening, the merman had swung his tail up along the glass horizontally. He flattened his fins along his body to make himself as streamline as possible and clung to the glass, pressing himself against it. 

Thorin didn't know what he was doing. He looked scared though. Thorin noticed that he was watching something behind him, so he turned to look. Thorin's stomach dropped. Three sharks had just swam into the cove. 

They weren't little reef sharks and, clearly, the poor merman was terrified of them. He was pressed along the glass as close as he could get. 

Thorin wondered why he didn't just swim away or find a better hiding spot. Though He suspected they had gotten to close for him to get away safely and that it was his fault for distracting the merman.

The merman wouldn't move as long as the sharks were in the cove. Thorin wished he could do something to help, but knew there wasn't anything he could do about the sharks. So, he did the one thing he could do. He stayed with him. 

It was after lunch several hours later when the merman finally started to relax. Thorin watched him as he eased away from the glass, letting his fins spread back out more comfortably. 

He turned and gave Thorin a small smile before swimming away and disappearing into the reef. Thorin thought it was the same hiding spot where he had first found the merman.

Thorin suspected that the merman was going to lay low the rest of the day, so he returned to the deck. To Thorin's great disappointment, the merman didn't show up again the next two days. Thorin suspected that the sharks had something to do with it.

As much as he wanted to stay and wait to be able to see him again, he knew the longer he stayed the longer he would have to wait to come back and the more likely his family would notice he was taking time off.

Finally he decided that he might as well head back to work since the merman was hiding out anyway. He was a little disappointed to be leaving, but very pleased overall with the success of his trip. He felt that he was able to befriend the man from the sea at least a little. 

He called Dori and Balin, letting each of them know that he was heading out. He would be back, hopefully soon. And now he had a new objective. Next time, he would meet the merman face-to-face, without the glass in between them. He smiled at the thought.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know what you think. :)


	9. Close Encounter

Thorin made it another few months before he couldn't get through the day without wishing he was back on his boat. But even then he couldn't make it back. Instead of going to the island, Thorin had to take time off this month for Fili's birthday. Fili wanted to spend a week at Disney World for his birthday. 

To Dis's surprise, Thorin agreed to accompany the family. He didn't particularly enjoy the trip itself, but he did enjoy seeing the happiness on his nephew's face when he told him that he would be getting two weeks, not one, to do everything he wanted to do at Disney Land. 

He relied on his nephew's happiness to get him through the two weeks and every night he wished he was on his boat instead. But he made it, without complaint. He wouldn't ruin his nephew's birthday like that, so he bore it quietly. 

They had gotten back a couple of weeks ago and he was starting to feel desperate to get away. He couldn't take a long vacation right now, having been gone for two weeks not that long ago, but he thought he might be able to swing two or three days away.

He finally managed to arrange three days off with Balin. It would only give him one full day on the island, considering travel there and back, but he was at the point where he would take even just a few hours if he could get it.

He didn't even wait till morning. As soon as he left the office on his last day before his time off, he immediately headed out. Balin had arranged for his private jet to be ready for him.

By the time he made it to the island, it was very early the next morning. He had managed to sleep on the jet, so he only planned to sleep for the remainder of the morning he normally would.

Since it was so early, he decided to stay on the island until morning. Docking his yacht to the boat in the dark would be more difficult and he didn't want to risk damaging either boats.

He got up, shortly after sunrise, ate a quick breakfast then headed out to the boat. As usual, he had informed Dori of his coming, so he knew everything would be ready for him.

The first thing he did once on the boat was check the viewing room to see if the merman was around. At first, he didn't see anything. Just when he was about to give up and head back up to the deck, a head of curls caught his eyes. 

The merman was peeking over some coral at him. Thorin smirked and gave him a small wave. After a few minutes, the merman seemed reassured and swam out of his hiding spot.

Thorin went back up to the cabin and prepared some apples as he normally did, but he had a different game plan in mind for today. He took the apple slices and climbed down to the diver's deck.

He sat down on the edge, letting his legs dangle in the water. He took an apple slice and threw it into the water a little ways away from him and waited. He knew the merman was in the water, now he just needed to to find a way to get the merman to come closer. Food seemed like the best bet.

He sat and waited for while before throwing another one in. This time he watched as the merman swam out from under the deck and scooped up the apple slice. The water was so clear he could see the merman through it plain as day.

He continued the process of throwing an apple slice out about every five minutes for about half an hour, watching the merman swim about under him. 

He had started by throwing the apple slices out and had gradually been throwing them closer and closer to the deck. now he was dropping them directly off the deck, bringing the merman right under his feet to get the apples.

Now he was going to change tactics. He gripped an apple slice between between his index and middle fingers and set his palm at the edge of the deck with his fingers dangling in the water. 

The merman would have to come take it from him if he wanted it. Several minutes went by and nothing happened. Suddenly he noticed something out of the corner of his eye. He turned to look and there, maybe ten feet away to his left, was the top half of the merman's head sticking out of the water.

He was only out of the water enough to have his eyes above the water. He was watching Thorin. Thorin just raised a brow at him and wiggled his fingers with the fruit in it. He continued to watch Thorin for several minutes before disappearing under the water again.

The merman's shiny tail disappeared under the boat. Thorin continued to sit and wait. He was beginning to think that this was as far as he was going to make it today, when he suddenly found his hand empty. 

Thorin looked down into the water, but there was no merman in sight. He put another apple slice in his hand and dangled it in the water. This time he watched the water for any signs of the merman.

A few moments later his hand was empty again. Thorin leaned forward, trying to see under the deck, but still didn't see the merman. Thorin was sure he was close under the deck, but he was managing to stay just out of sight. 

Thorin restocked his hand again and put it back in the water. The fruit was gone much faster this time. Again, Thorin thought this was why people weren't supposed to feed the wildlife.

He picked up another piece of fruit, but this time he only dipped it into the water before lifting it back out and setting it slightly hanging over the edge of the deck. He watched and waited.

Several feet under him, a face came into view. The merman had located the apple and was clearly trying to figure out how to get it without coming too close. Thorin leaned forward with his elbows braced on his knees and gave a challenging smirk.

The merman met his eyes, reading the challenge on Thorin's face and gave a smirk of his own. The merman shot up until he was only inches away from Thorin and did a powerful somersault. 

The merman's tail sent a wave crashing over Thorin and the deck. Thorin was so caught off guard, that he didn't react in time and the whole bowl of apple slices went over into the water.

Thorin cursed under his breath at his now soaked condition and looked down into the smugly victorious face of the merman who was munching away on his apple slices.

"That was cheating!" He accused into the water, wringing out his shirt. He heard the faint sound of laughter drift up off the water. He looked down at the sound. Was the merman . . laughing? Did that mean he understood what Thorin said?

"Can you understand me?" He spoke into the water, watching the merman's reaction.

The merman looked uncertain, but not confused. Maybe he wasn't supposed to let on that he could understand. After a few moments of consideration, he softly nodded his head.

Thorin couldn't believe his luck. He still had to find a way around the whole fishtail thing, but at least he didn't have a language barrier to clime over. But, did that mean that the merman had known other humans? He preferred to think that the merman was his alone. He would share with his nephew, but that was different.

"Would you come up? I'd like to get to know you better." Thorin coaxed.

The merman studied Thorin in consideration. Then started to swim away. Thorin thought that was his answer until the merman popped up near the side of the deck about seven or eight feet away from him. The merman propped his elbows on the deck, holding himself out of the water.

Thorin watched as water gushed out of the merman's gills before they closed up and became nearly invisible. The merman watched him back carefully, prepared to drop back into the water at a moment's notice.

"I'm Thorin. What's your name?"

The merman hesitated before answering. "Bilbo." His voice came out rough and gravely. Bilbo cleared his throat. It seemed like he hadn't used his voice in a while. 

"Have you met many humans?" Thorin couldn't help but want to know.

The merman shook his head. "Just you . . and the little human who comes here with you." His voice wasn't quite as rough anymore, but was still quite raspy.

"Then how can you understand me? If you've never met any humans before." 

The merman shrugged. "My dad taught me."

"Does your dad know many humans?" 

"I don't know. He wouldn't tell me. But he knew a lot about humans."

'Knew.' Thorin should have known. There were never any other merpeople around. "I'm sorry."

Bilbo looked at him confused. "For what?"

"Your father." Maybe Throin misunderstood. "Is he . . ?

"He died." Bilbo confirmed it like you would that rain is falling.

"I'm sorry for your loss." Thorin was a bit baffled by his nonchalant response. 

Bilbo shrugged again. "Everybody dies."

"That's true. But it doesn't make it any less painful." Thorin still remembered the loss of his mother keenly. 

Bilbo was watching him. "Did you lose someone?"

Thorin nodded. "My mother."

"I'm sorry." He continued munching on his apples.

Thorin decided he a change of subject was in order. "You know, if I hadn't seen you for myself, I wouldn't have believed you were real." 

Bilbo looked at him confused. "Why?" 

"Cause you're a fish-man. That's something out of fantasies and fairy tales."

Bilbo scrunched up his nose in distaste. "I'm not a fish!"

"You're half fish, aren't you?." Thorin asked a bit confused by the merman's defensiveness. 

"I'm not half of anything!" Bilbo said indignantly. 

Thorin tried not to chuckle at the 'not a fish-man's' protest and risk offending him further. "Then what are you?"

"I'm a sea-person." he said with false snobbishness. "One whole sea-person." He said with a sniff.

Thorin couldn't help himself. He barked a laugh at the 'sea-person's' performance. The sound nearly startled Bilbo back into the sea. But he recovered and quirked a small smile of his own. "I was expecting something a little more specific. How is that any different from 'fish-man'?" 

"Because I'm not a fish."

"Okay, but isn't there something that your people call themselves?" 

"Maybe, but I don't know it. I don't think it really matters anymore."

"Why is that?"

"Because there aren't enough of us left for it to matter."

Thorin's mirth died instantly. "How many sea-people are there?"

"I don't know. Just me as far as I know. If there are others, I've never seen them."

"Your parents?"

"The only other sea-people I've ever met. And they're gone now." That time there was some sorrow in his voice. 

Thorin hadn't thought that he was that alone. No wonder he was willing to risk so much just for a little interaction. He wanted to apologize again, but decided it might be better to change the subject. "How long have you lived here?"

"A while. I don't really remember anymore."

That made Thorin wonder. "How old are you?"

Bilbo scrunched his nose up in thought. "I don't remember. Over thirty-three, at least. Maybe thrity-seven or eight?"

Thorin gaped at him. Thorin was only forty and he was already sporting some gray. Bilbo barely looked out of his teens.

Bilbo noticed him staring. "What?"

Thorin recovered himself. "How long do sea-people live?"

Bilbo had to think again. "I don't know. Most of us die before reaching old age. Even my mom's parents died before they were old. I know that we're considered adults at thirty-three though."

Thorin was feeling a whirlwind of emotions. His 'sea-man' was an adult at least, but he also sounded like he had no expectation of living a full life. Obviously, early death was common. Thorin wouldn't be robbed of the sea-man if he had a say about it. "It sounds dangerous to live in the sea."

Bilbo shrugged again. "It's dangerous to live alone, even on a reef as nice as this one. I wouldn't risk the open ocean unless it was my only choice." 

"Is that why you didn't leave even after I found you?" The open ocean must be scarier than being found.

"Yeah. The open ocean is almost certain death for a lone sea-person. We're supposed to live in groups."

Thorin decided that they had talked about enough depressing things for one day. "I'm sorry. You must get very lonely. You're welcome to come correct me on the proper terms for fish-people anytime." He smirked at the sea-man.

Bilbo didn't smile, but just studied him. "You . . you aren't going to tell anyone?" He asked unsure.

"No. My nephew made me promise I wouldn't even before I found you." Thorin reassured him.

Bilbo cocked his head. "What's a 'nephew'?

"It's a family title used to refer to the child of a sibling. He's my sister's son." 

"You mean the little human?" Bilbo asked.

Thorin nodded, grinning at the term. 

"I thought he was yours. He looks very much like you."

Well, Thorin needed to correct that misconception. "He's not mine. I'm not . . ." How would an innocent sea-person understand it? "in a relationship with anyone." He hoped that would be clear enough. 

Bilbo seemed to be trying to translate that to sea-people terms in his head. "You mean you're not mated?" He asked uncertainly.

"Is that a permanent relationship." Thorin tried to understand. 

Bilbo raised his brows at Thorin in surprise. "Yes."

"Humans call that being married. I'm not married either." He clarified.

"Are there temporary . . matings?" Bilbo wasn't sure what they would be called.

Thorin couldn't tell if this was a matter of innocence or cultural differences. "Yes. Humans often have many intimate relationships, some can be very short other can last even longer than most marriages."

"I thought you said married was permanent?" Bilbo was thoroughly confused now.

"It is. Or it's supposed to be, but many couples separate and move on to new people." He didn't think he was explaining this very well.

"What?! Why?! Why would they do that?!" Thorin didn't mean to upset him.

"Many reason. Maybe they don't feel in love anymore, or realize they don't really like the person after marrying them." Thorin tried to explain.

"How is that worth dying for?!"

Perhaps infidelity and separation was forbidden for sea-people. "They won't die. People are allowed to pursue their own happiness. Are sea-people not allowed to separate?" 

"What? We, we would never! We take only one mate. If our mate dies, it's like a part of us dies too. We follow them in death." 

Thorin wasn't sure how he felt about that. "That sounds . . very serious."

Bilbo had finally calmed down though he still looked distraught. "It's more serious than that. We only mate once, and our mate becomes a part of us. But we only love once too. If we are rejected by our chosen, we may not die, like if we were mated, but we will never be happy either."

Thorin's gut twisted. If he pursued Bilbo, he would have to be dead serious, or he would risk killing him or, at the very least, ruining his life. He didn't want to hurt the sea-man. "I think I would be afraid to love if that was the case for humans."

"Mom always said that falling in love was always risky, but, when you found the one that sung to your heart, it would always be worth the risk." Bilbo quoted quietly.

Thorin gazed at the sea-man. He marveled at the courage it would take to risk everything on another person's desire. He also realized that human habits didn't particularly shine him in an attractive light. 

It was risky enough for a sea-person to fall in love with another sea-person. Would Bilbo be willing to take that risk on a fickle human? Did the fact that Thorin was even concerned about this mean he was serious about the sea-man? 

Thorin was still trying to figure out his own mind when his stomach growled. Bilbo cocked his head at him with a smirk. Thorin checked his water-proof watch. It was well past lunch time.

He had been so caught up in his conversation with Bilbo that he hadn't realized how much time had passed. Bilbo was still watching him. "I guess I should go eat something."

Bilbo nodded. "Can we . . talk more tomorrow?" He seemed unsure of his welcome.

Thorin smiled softly. "I would like that."

Bilbo smiled back as Thorin stood up and stretched. "I'll see you tomorrow?"

Bilbo nodded before pushing off the deck and sinking into the water.

Thorin relaxed for the rest of the day, ruminating on everything he and Bilbo had talked about. Thorin needed to know he was serious about him. He wouldn't risk hurting Bilbo. He thought he was, but he didn't know how to tell for sure. He went to bed that night still thinking about it.

He slept in the next morning, having been too distracted to set his alarm, so by the time he got up and around it was nearly lunch time. He ate a large brunch, so he wouldn't have to eat again anytime soon. Then he filled a large bowl with a variety of fruits and headed down to the deck. 

Several minutes later, Bilbo popped up and landed his elbows on the deck. He was only three or four feet away this time. Thorin could probably reach him if he tried. Thorin offered him the bowl of goodies.

Bilbo's eyes got big as he took in all the tasty treats. "What are all these?" He asked, voice full of wonder.

Thorin chuckled and proceeded to explain what everything was and tell him a little about each fruit. They talked about many things, mostly the differences between living in the ocean and living on land.

It was nearly sundown by the time they were saying goodbye for the night. "Can we talk again tomorrow?" Bilbo asked hopefully.

Thorin hated to have to turn him down. "I'm afraid we can't. I have to leave in the morning."

"Where are you going?"

"Back to where I live and work. I only get to come here when I need some time off."

Bilbo didn't look like he completely understood. "Will you come back?"

"Definitely." Thorin had every intention of coming back as soon as he could manage it.

"We can talk when you come back?"

"Of course." 

Bilbo nodded, satisfied. He sent Thorin one last smile before dropping back into the water.

Thorin ate a quick dinner before heading to bed. He would have to leave early in the morning to get home in time to prepare for work tomorrow.

As he was flying back in his private jet, he was thinking of everything that had happened on his short trip. He knew it wouldn't be long before he was yearning to go back. He was already missing the company of a certain sea-man.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The romance is finally starting! It feels like it took forever to get here. XD


	10. Nephew Sitting

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm posting this tonight because I may not have time to post it tomorrow. Enjoy. :)

Thorin's next opportunity to visit the island came sooner than he expected. It had only been a little over two months, when Dis informed him that she and Vince were planning to get away to celebrate their anniversary.

She had only been planning a weekend getaway, knowing that watching both boys would be difficult for a long period of time for either of her brothers and not really wanting to put that much work on Gilda. 

But Thorin and Frerin had decided they would gift Dis and Vince a two week vacation by splitting responsibility for the boys. Dis was hard to convince at first, not sure how she felt about being away from her boys for so long. But Fili and Kili agreed to the arrangements and encouraged their parents to go. 

So, while Dis started planning their two week get away, Thorin and Frerin tried to figure out how they would split up the boys. At first, they thought that they would have to take turns watching the boys to keep from separating them. But Kili had been particularly excited about staying on the island for weeks now. 

Fili didn't want to object, but it was clear he wasn't nearly as excited as Kili. Finally, they all agreed that Kili would stay with Thorin on the island and Frerin would take Fili on a fishing trip, something Kili had rapidly lost interest in lately.

Everyone was a little surprised that the boys had agreed to be separated for that long, though Thorin suspected Kili only agreed because of a certain secret sea-man he was no doubt hoping to see again.

Three weeks after Dis's initial announcement, all arrangements had been made and Dis and Vince were taking off to catch their cruise after saying goodbye to their boys. Thorin took Frerin and the boys out to dinner for one last meal together before they split up and headed to their own destinations. 

Thorin had intended to leave for the island in the morning, but, due to Kili's insistence, agreed to head out that night. Thorin knew Kili would likely sleep through most of the trip anyway.

When they finally got to the island early the next morning, Kili was still fast asleep. Thorin carried him from the boat the the house and put him to bed, before settling for a few hours of rest himself. 

Thorin grunted as he was rudely awakened by the mass that was his nephew landing on his back. Kili was already vibrating with excitement and energy, anticipating their day on the boat looking for the sea-man. 

Thorin barely managed to reign him in long enough to eat breakfast. But that was all he could manage. Kili nearly inhaled his food and would have dragged Thorin to the dock if he could. 

A little while later, they were boarding the boat out in the cove. Kili was dashing down to the viewing room before Thorin could even say anything. He knew Bilbo wouldn't come out until he knew who was on the boat even if he was in the area.

Thorin followed him down to the viewing room at a much more leisurely pace. When he finally caught up to his nephew, Kili had already wilted in disappointment. "He's not here. Do you think he left?"

Thorin shook his head. "He's here. He just won't come out until he's sure it's safe." He said with confidence.

Kili looked at his uncle suspiciously. "How do you know he's here?"

Thorin just smirked mischievously at his nephew and headed back up to the cabin. He cut up a couple apples before throwing them over the side facing the island, then briskly headed back down to the viewing room. He wanted to see his nephews face when Bilbo came out. 

Kili spared him a appreciative glance when Thorin rentered the viewing room. The apple slices hadn't even settled before the sea-man had emerged from his hiding spot to scoop up the succulent treats. 

Kili gasped and started jumping up and down in excitement, laughing and pulling on his uncle's shirt as if Thorin hadn't noticed the sea-man in the water. Thorin just chuckled and nodded as his nephew babbled mostly incoherently about the man in the water.

After Bilbo fished collecting his treats, he started swimming circles around the viewing room while he munched away at them. He twirled languidly, floating effortlessly through the water. He studied Thorin and his nephew as they watched him in return.

Bilbo finally stopped, apples finished, and hovered outside the glass in front of them. He smiled at Kili who beamed back with an energetic wave. Bilbo placed his hands on the glass and leaned in to study the little human. 

As Bilbo and his nephew studied each other, Throin couldn't help but study the sea-man himself. He noticed the way Bilbo's fins waved and flowed in the water. He was fascinated by the ripple of muscle that ran through Bilbo's tail as he slowly undulated it to maintain his position. 

Thorin was starting to get hot under his collar and briefly wondered if he had some weird fetish for fishtails. A tapping on the glass broke him from his musings. Bilbo waved at him with a smile and pointed up questioningly.

Thorin smiled back and nodded. The sea-man pushed off the glass and started swimming away.

Kili looked at his uncle questioningly. "What does he want?"

"Probably more to eat." Thorin said with a smirk.

Thorin returned to the cabin with Kili right on his heels. Thorin prepared a bowl of mixed fruit before leading his nephew out to the divers deck. Thorin got down first and set the bowl down near the edge, then turned to help his nephew down. 

Before Kili's feet even touched the deck, Bilbo shot out of the water and landed with his elbows on either side of Thorin's offering. Kili gaped at the sudden emergence of the sea-man.

Thorin chuckled at the sight of his nephew. "Hello, Bilbo."

Kili's head whipped around to his uncle. "You know his name?!"

"Hi Thorin. You brought the little human with you?"

Kili's head whipped back to the sea-man. "He can talk!"

Thorin just chuckled louder as he went to sit on the edge of the deck. "This is Kili. He's my youngest nephew. I'm keeping an eye on him while his parents are away."

"That's not fair, uncle! You never said you talked to him!" Kili accused as he came to sit next to him, not quite ready to put his legs in the water.

"It was a surprise." Thorin said placatingly.

Kili barely heard him, he was already to focused on the sea-man. "So . . do you you like 'em?" He was sitting cross legged less than two feet away from the munching sea-man.

Thorin marveled at Bilbo's tolerance with Kili's proximity. Thorin was still sitting several feet away to not make the sea-man uncomfortable.

"Oh yes! These little round purple ones are amazing! And these orange ones are full of sweet juice. And Thorin called this yellow one apple but it doesn't taste anything like these other apples."

Kili laughed. "That's because it's _pine_ apple. It's different." 

"What's 'pine'?" Bilbo asked curiously.

Kili looked at Thorin, not entirely sure himself. "It's a kind of tree." Thorin clarified.

"Oh, maybe it grows on pine trees then." Kili guessed.

"No, it doesn't grow on trees, actually." Thorin had a feeling where this was going.

Bilbo's nose scrunched up in confusion. "If it doesn't grow on pines and it's not an apple, then why is it called a pineapple?" Bilbo and Kili both looked to Thorin for an answer.

Thorin chuckled and shrugged. "I'm not sure. Does seem kind of silly, doesn't it?"

"Probably cause a grownup named it. They come up with the weirdest ideas sometimes." Kili concluded wisely. 

"What would you name it?" Thorin wondered out loud.

"I would name it . . . 'scaley fruit.'" Kili announced.

Thorin chuckled, but Bilbo just looked more confused. "Why?"

"Cause the outside looks scaley before you cut it off." Kili explained.

Bilbo looked skeptical. "Well, whatever it's called, it's delicious."

Kili sat with his chin in his hands, watching the sea-man munch away on his fruit. Bilbo didn't seem to mind. "So, what do you eat? Under the water, I mean."

Bilbo hummed. "Mostly sea grasses and plants. Sometimes fish eggs, urchin or starfish."

Kili scrunched his nose in distaste. "You mean you eat them raw?"

"What's 'raw?'" 

"It means 'not cooked.'" Kili explained.

"What's 'cooked?'"

Kili looked at his uncle in exasperation. 

Thorin chuckled. "Cooked means to prepare food with heat or fire." He explained. "He would have to eat things raw, since he has no way to cook, Kili."

Kili made a sound of disgust.

"Oh, I know about fire though." Bilbo said a bit proudly.

"How do you know about fire?" Kili asked.

"My dad was teaching me about dangers in the ocean once and he told me about this black slimy stuff. He said not to go near it or it could get in our gills and make it hard to breath. He also said that sometimes the humans turn it into fire and it burns like a thousand jellyfish stings."

Bilbo was talking about oil spills. Thorin could see how that would be very dangerous for sea-people.

"Does your dad live here too?" Kili asked, excited about meeting more sea-people.

Thorin whipped his head around at the question. "Kili." He warned.

"No, he died."

"Oh, sorry." Kili looked contrite.

"It's okay. He was dying for a long time. He stayed with me long enough to find this place though." Bilbo picked at his fruit, lacking the appetite of before.

"How did he die?" Kili asked innocently. 

"Kili!" Thorin warned again.

"He faded." Bilbo answered quietly with a far away look in his eyes.

"Oh." Kili was quiet for a moment. "Is that some kind of sickness?"

Thorin gave up. At least Bilbo didn't seem offended by all the questions and now Thorin could get some answers to questions he wouldn't normally ask.

"Sort of. Mom called it a sickness of the heart." Bilbo smiled sadly.

Kili perked up. "What about your mom? Is she here with you?"

Thorin rubbed a hand down his face in exasperation. Count on Kili to ask all the painful questions.

"No, my mom died a long time ago." Bilbo answered patiently.

"Did she 'fade' too?" 

"No. She was killed by sharks." 

"What about brothers or sisters?"

"Nope, never had any." Bilbo was starting to pick at his food more, appetite coming back.

"So, you're all by yourself?"

"Yep, I get the whole cove to myself." Bilbo responded with forced cheerfulness.

Kili was quiet for a bit. "Don't you get lonely?"

Bilbo hummed. "I don't know. Maybe. Dad was never the same after mom died, so I was pretty much alone ever since then."

Kili thought for a few moments. "Well, you're not alone anymore. We'll come see you whenever we can. We'll be your family." Kili said so easily.

Bilbo and Thorin both looked at him in surprise. "We can't be family, we're too different." Bilbo said nervously when he recovered.

"That doesn't matter. Family loves you no matter what."

To Thorin's fascination, Bilbo flushed a bright red. Bilbo was stuttering trying to object without hurting the boy's feelings.

"Perhaps we should just start as friends." Thorin rescued the floundering sea-man. 

Bilbo as still blushing and just nodded.

"I guess we can do that." Kili consented. "But friends take care of friends too, so we're gonna take care of you."

Bilbo was still flushed and stammering, so he gave up on a verbal answer and just nodded. 

Kili quickly moved on to a new topic and he and Bilbo talked back and forth, taking turns asking questions about every little thing, until it was well past lunch. Thorin finally decided he needed to draw it to an end so they could go eat. 

"Can Bilbo eat with us?" Kili wasn't ready to let the sea-man go just yet.

Thorin paused trying to figure out how they would manage that.

Bilbo must have interpreted his hesitation as reluctance. "That's okay. I probably need to go swim off some of this fruit before tonight anyways." He excused himself. 

Kili whined a bit, but said goodbye. "Can we see you tomorrow?"

"Yep." Bilbo gave Kili a smile and sent Thorin a bit more shy one before dropping back into the water.

The next several days passed much the same. Thorin and Kili would sit on the deck and chat with Bilbo about everything and anything. Bilbo was every bit as curious as Kili, so they would take turns asking questions, though Kili would sometimes have to refer to his uncle for answers.

Thorin just sat and listened most of the time, answering questions as he was asked, absorbing any information he could get about the sea-man. By the third day, Kili had gotten brave enough to put his feet in the water. 

Several days after that he asked the question. "Can I swim with you?" 

Bilbo and Thorin both looked at him in surprise. Bilbo looked at Thorin to gauge how he should answer.

"I don't think your mother would be very happy about that." Thorin cautioned.

"If we don't tell her, she won't ever know." Kili insisted. He looked at Bilbo pleadingly.

"Don't look at me. You have to get your uncle's permission." Bilbo deflected.

Thorin knew Bilbo wouldn't let any harm come to the boy, but this was deep water and his sister would kill him if she ever found out.

"Please, Uncle Thorin!" Kili begged.

Thorin sighed and looked at Bilbo. "How do you feel about it?"

Bilbo shrugged. "I don't mind. I'll keep a hold of him."

Thorin suspected he would regret this someday, but he knew it would make both his nephew and Bilbo happy and that would be worth it. "Alright, but you stay near the deck."

"Yes!" Kili stripped off his shirt and barely waited for Bilbo to get ready for him before he jumped in.

Thorin nearly had a heart attack as Kili went under the water, but Bilbo went down right after him and came back up a moment later with the boy in his arms.

Thorin relaxed after a few minutes as Bilbo smoothly guided Kili around in the water, pulling him by his hands. Kili laughed and cheered, having a grand ol' time. 

Thorin was almost jealous, as he watched Bilbo and Kili frolic in the water, but took it like a good sport. Getting close to Kili only helped the sea-man be more comfortable around Thorin as well.

Bilbo swam around with Kili for nearly an hour before he pushed himself up out of the water and deposited Kili on the deck. They parted for the night after saying goodbyes. 

Everyday was much the same. Thorin and Kili would spend their days out on the boat with Bilbo. They would talk about anything and nothing. Kili would spend at least an hour everyday in the water with Bilbo.

Bilbo rapidly became comfortable, not only with Kili, but also with Thorin. He would prop himself up on the deck only inches away from Thorin. Thorin never purposefully reached out to touch him, but if they ever brushed against each other, Bilbo didn't seem to take any notice. 

Finally it came to their last day. Tomorrow, Thorin and Kili would have to head back home. Kili was torn between the excitement of seeing his parents again and the disappointment of having to leave.

"I'm gonna miss you." He said suddenly as they were eating their lunch on the deck.

Bilbo looked up from his bowl of fruit in surprise. "You'll come back though, right?" Bilbo looked at Thorin hopefully for conformation.

"Of course. But there's no telling when, and it may be a lot longer before Kili can come back." 

Kili wilted a bit at that, no longer having much of an appetite.

Bilbo thought about that for a minute. "I'll miss you too. I'll miss our swims and our talks. It will be . . quiet without you here." He ended softly.

"We'll be back as soon as we can though, okay? You have to wait for us." Kili insisted.

Bilbo nodded indulgently. "Alright, I'll wait."

Kili sighed. "I wish I could tell Fili about you. I know he would like you too."

Bilbo looked up in alarm at the thought, turning to Thorin for reassurance.

"Maybe someday, when Bilbo's ready." He tempered Kili with a reassuring smile at Bilbo.

"I know. I just wish we could all be your friends, then we really would be like family." Kili consented.

Bilbo gave Kili a small smile. "Thank you, Kili. I'm glad I have you for a friend, at least, even if I don't get anymore."

Kili beamed at the compliment. 

Later as they were saying goodbye for the last time for a while, Kili asked Bilbo for a hug.

"I think that might be a bit difficult, Kili." But, before Thorin could even finish, Bilbo had pushed himself up out of the water and propped himself up on the deck with his pectoral fins. 

This put him almost level with Kili. Kili gasped in delight and threw his arms around the sea-man, completely uncaring of the water still running of his wet friend. Bilbo gently held him, as Kili started to sob his goodbye. 

Thorin watched sympatheticly. Kili had never really had a close friend besides his brother and they were almost always together. It would be hard for Kili to say goodbye not knowing when he would see his friend again.

Kili finally reluctantly pulled away sniffing and rubbing his face clean. "I didn't know you could do that."

Bilbo smiled. "I have strong fins. It's just not as comfortable as being in the water."

"Can I touch 'em?"

"Bilbo slowly began to slip back into the water. "Maybe next time. It will give you something to look forward too."

Kili nodded, encouraged by the idea of coming back again.

Thorin stepped up behind his nephew. "We'll be back as soon as we can." Thorin said instead of a goodbye. He was feeling a bit touched himself. 

Bilbo nodded and gave him a small smile before ducking under the water.

Thorin and Kili left first thing the next morning. Thorin had to promise to bring Kili back as soon as he could several times to get the distraught kid to stop sobbing. 

Thorin couldn't really blame him. He didn't want to leave either. And he comforted himself with the same promises. 


	11. A Date

_~Bilbo~_

Bilbo coasted through the cove. Things were definitely a lot quieter without the humans around. It had only been two weeks since the humans left, but he was already missing them.

He missed the tasty fruit the Thorin always prepared for him. He missed Kili's endless questions and asking his own. He missed the swims he had with Kili. He missed all of it.

After the first talk he had with Thorin, he was a little skeptical that he would really be able to get along with humans, no matter how much fruit they offered him. Humans sounded so fickle, he had wondered if they were even capable of deep relationships.

He had been so skeptical that he had forced any thought of attraction to Thorin completed out of his head. He would be fine if he maintained a simple friendship with Thorin, but Bilbo wasn't willing to risk everything on a fickle human.

Besides, he could never truly be with a human. They couldn't live or sleep together and and they would only be able to make love on the full moons when Bilbo could get his legs. He was sure that wouldn't be very satisfying.

No, he would eat the fruit and talk with the human, but he was convinced that, beyond that, the human couldn't offer anything worth risking everything for. At least, he did think that, until silly words like 'family' and 'love' started getting thrown around. 

Bilbo still wasn't sure what to do with that. Kili was obviously just a child, even by human standards, but he had been so sincere when he said those things. And when he had to leave he seemed so heartbroken, even Bilbo almost cried.

Perhaps the humans were capable of deep feelings. Or maybe it didn't prove anything. Maybe their feelings only seemed deep In the moment but would fade over time and distance. Bilbo was so confused he didn't know what to think.

Bilbo couldn't afford to let down his gaurd. It was better for him to believe that they could never truly love him. And yet, now he knew what it was to be lonely. He yearned for their company. Sometimes it seemed like it would have been better to never have gotten involved with them in the first place. 

But he knew he would seek their company as soon it was availble. He would just have to learn to deal with the loneliness in between their visits.

_~Thorin~_

Thorin waited another couple months before scheduling a few days off. He scheduled with Balin to get two full days and two half-days this time. That way he could spend two full days on the island and use the half-days for traveling.

He had been counting down the days before he could get back to the island. Now that he was on his way, he felt almost as giddy as his nephew usually was. 

Thorin had pretty much given up on trying to figure out if he was serious enough to pursue the sea-man. After his last visit and the time he has been away since, he realized he couldn't afford to worry about Bilbo's heart when it might be his own getting broken.

After all, Bilbo may never consider a relationship with him considering what he has learned about humans. And even if he did, how exactly were they supposed to make that work. 

Bilbo had a fish tail. Even if they were mutually interested there was no way they could . . wait. The beach. Bilbo was on the beach . . with legs. How could he have forgotten about that? Well, that opened a whole world of possibilities; he would definitely be asking about that.

He arrived on the island late, as usual, so he followed his usual routine. He was just docking to the boat in the cove when Bilbo startled him by shouting his name. "Bilbo, you shouldn't do that."

"Sorry." Bilbo didn't look apologetic at all as he continued to grin at Thorin propped up on the side of his motorboat.

Thorin huffed at him. "That's not what I meant. What if I was someone else?"

Bilbo shook his head and shrugged a shoulder. "I knew it was you."

Thorin raised a brow at him. "And how did you know that?"

"Your stride, the way you walk." Bilbo smirked.

"And you can tell that from down there?" Thorin leaned against the side of his boat towards the sea-man. He was getting the feeling they were were bordering on flirting now.

"I have sensitive ears." Bilbo revealed with a playful smirk and a hint of suggestion before dropping back into the water. "I'll meet you at the deck."

Thorin was left there with his eyebrows nearly to his hairline at the sea-man's comment. That was definitely flirting. Perhaps he didn't have as much to worry about as he thought. 

He put his stuff away in his room before grabbing some fruit and heading down to the deck. Bilbo was swimming about waiting for him and popped up out of the water with a smile as Thorin approached. 

"You seem happy today. Something good happen?" Thorin asked as he set down the expected bowl of fruit in front of Bilbo.

"You came back." Bilbo said matter-of-factly before digging in to his fruit bowl.

Thorin stared at him in surprise. "You knew I would."

"I know, but it's been very . . quiet, since you left." Some of Bilbo's cheer seemed to fade at the thought.

Thorin could read between the lines, to understand companionship, meant to understand loneliness. Bilbo had never been lonely before because he'd never had much company to begin with. "I'm sorry, I wish I could have come sooner."

Bilbo shrugged. "You have important things you have to do. You're life sounds busy."

"I think I'd rather be here with you, though." Thorin met the sea-man's eyes when he looked up in surprise, willing Bilbo to see his sincerity.

After a few moments, Bilbo turned away blushing. "Your shirt is very . . bright. You always wear colorful shirts. " Bilbo changed the subject.

Thorin looked down at himself and huffed. "My sister bought them for me. I don't know why she couldn't just buy me something normal. Probably because she wouldn't be able to laugh at me then."

Bilbo giggled. "I'm sure she meant well." He didn't sound entirely convinced himself though. Kili and Thorin had told him about her. "They're not bad, just colorful."

Thorin huffed again. "Yeah, well, they're all I have here so I guess I'll be wearing them anyway."

They were quiet for a while as Bilbo ate his fruit. Thorin wasn't really sure how to bring up what he wanted to ask. 

Bilbo finished his fruit and ducked under the water to wash his hand and face. When he came back up, he propped himself next to Thorin on the deck and started staring him.

Thorin cautiously returned the gaze. "What?"

"Do all humans grow hair and their faces?"

Thorin chuckled at the question. "No, only men, usually, and not all of us grow it out. Some men shave it off every day." He said rubbing his own short beard.

Bilbo stared at him even more intently and started biting his lip.

At first, Thorin was curious about what would make the sea-man so intense, but as he watched Bilbo's teeth work on his lip, he formed a suspicion. "Yes?" He had to fight back a smirk.

Bilbo continued to stare at him a few more seconds. "Can I touch it?" He blurted out as if he had been straining to keep it in.

Thorin laughed. He suspected that was what it was. He could see the burning curiosity in Bilbo's eyes. "Sure." He nodded still laughing a bit.

Bilbo pushed himself up until he could swing a pectoral fin over the side of the deck to steady himself. It put him almost even with Thorin. With only one fin on the deck, since he was too close to Thorin to put the other one up, he had to keep pushing with his tail to stay up.

When he thought he was stable, he reached up to feel Thorin's face. Just as he did, his fin started to slip of the deck. He would have tumbled back into the water if Thorin hadn't reach out on reflex and wrapped his warms around the sea-man's waist to steady him.

Bilbo flushed at finding himself in Thorin's arms. "Ummm."

Thorin reached down and grabbed Bilbo's other fin at the base and dragged it up over his leg. "Here." 

Bilbo steadied, having two fins for support. "Thank you." He stuttered out in a mumble.

His embarrassment clearly wasn't enough to distract him from his purpose as his hands flew up to begin stroking Thorin's beard. 

Thorin watched with a smirk as Bilbo studied and caressed his face with curiosity and awe.

"It's rough and soft at the same time." He said in awe.

Thorin chuckled. "Do sea-people not grow facial hair?" He had just assumed that Bilbo didn't.

"No, slows us down in the water." Bilbo was still stroking Thorin's cheeks reverently. 

Thorin still had one arm wrapped around Bilbo's waste and absently started rubbing his fingers in circles in Bilbo's side feeling the scales there. Bilbo seemed to preoccupied to notice and Thorin remembered what he wanted to ask him about.

"I saw you on the beach."

Bilbo's eyes focused on his. "What?"

"That night, you were on the beach, drawing constellations." Thorin clarified.

"Oh." Bilbo wasn't sure where Thorin was going with this.

"You had legs." Thorin raised a brow in silent question.

"Yes, it was a full moon." Bilbo said as if that should answer all of Thorin's questions.

Thorin waited a moment expecting more. When none was forthcoming, he pushed for more. "You're going to have to explain it for me."

"It's magic. Moon magic?" Bilbo seemed to be waiting for Thorin to catch on to what he was saying.

Thorin shook his head. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Really?" Bilbo looked confused now. Thorin had distracted him from his exploration so he had lowered his hands to help hold himself up. "Maybe it's a sea-people thing."

Thorin looked at him, waiting for him to elaborate.

"When the moon is full, sea-people can come on land and swap our tails for legs, but we have to be back in the water before sunrise to get our tails back." 

"What happens if you don't?"

"I'm not sure. Mom always just said to make sure I was back in the water before the sun came up. It sounded like we wouldn't get our tails back if we didn't make it though."

Well, Thorin figured that made things a little more doable. Three nights a month was better than never. "Do you go on land every full moon?"

Bilbo shook his head. "No, I haven't since you found me on the beach. It's too risky with people on the island. I only did that night because I thought there was no one there."

Thorin nodded in thought. It would be difficult, but they could make things work if they tried. Thorin's biggest concern would be having to leave Bilbo for such long periods of time. The sea-man was already getting lonely.

"Th-th-Thorin?" Bilbo stuttered out. 

Thorin focused back on the sea-man. He was blushing a deep red. "What?"

"Y-your h-hand." 

Thorin had absently been rubbing his fingers across Bilbo's scales and had migrated from his waist to his lower back where he had started to rub against the top of Bilbo's dorsal fin.

He pulled his hand away quickly once he realized what he was doing. He hadn't meant to cross any boundaries; he'd just been fascinated by the feel of Bilbo's scales. "Sorry. I didn't . . I wasn't paying attention." 

"I-its fine." 

"Did I do something wrong?" Thorin didn't want to make the sea-man wary of him.

"N-no. It's just . . touching . . _that_ fin . . is i-intimate." Bilbo tried to explain through his embarrassment. 

Thorin nodded, carefully logging that information away for future reference. "I'm sorry, I didn't realize." 

Bilbo shrugged. "It's fine." His blush was slowly receding.

Thorin looked at the fin draped over his leg; he had touched that one just fine. "What about this one?"

"That one's fine."

"May I touch it?" Thorin thought it best to get permission this time.

Bilbo nodded but wouldn't look him in the eyes.

Thorin reached down and gently stroked the fin marveling at the smooth, soft texture. He was as fascinated as Bilbo had been with his beard.

After a couple of minutes, he noticed Bilbo watching him out of the corner of his eye, but, when he turned to meet his gaze, Bilbo turned away. "Are you uncomfortable?" Thorin asked, referring more to the situation than the position.

Bilbo shook his head, still not bringing his gaze to meet Thorin's. 

Thorin had to think of something to ease the mood. "Your scales are beautiful." Thorin must have chose well because Bilbo's eyes shot up to meet his.

"Really?" Bilbo didn't look like he entirely believed him.

"Of course. The gold edging of each scale blends well with the bronze center. It makes for a very brilliant blended coloring. Don't you like it?"

"Of course I like it. I just didn't think you'd like it." Bilbo broke eye contact again.

"Why wouldn't I like it?"

Bilbo fidgeted. "Well, cause it's . . cause I'm not . . human." Bilbo looked down into the water sulkily.

Thorin studied him, trying to understand what this was really about. Perhaps Bilbo thought Thorin wouldn't find him attractive because he wasn't human and had a fish tail. Did that mean Bilbo _wanted_ Thorin to find him attractive?

Thorin leaned forward towards Bilbo's uniquely shaped ear. "I think all of you is very attractive." He rumbled.

Much to Thorin's fascination, several things happened at once. Bilbo flushed the deepest red Thorin had ever seen, which was saying a lot considering Bilbo's pretty dark golden skin, his hand shot up to his ear, his dorsal fin shot up stiff, and he shook in a violent tremble.

"I t-t-told you m-my ears were s-s-s-sensitive!" He barely stuttered out the last word.

Thorin stared in surprise, his eyebrows nearly in his hairline. Bilbo wasn't kidding. His ears were _super_ sensitive apparently. Thorin fought back a smirk; he was learning all kinds of valuable things today.

Bilbo must have noticed the smirk regardless because he huffed and pushed himself off Thorin's leg and fell back into the water.

Thorin mourned the loss, but was comforted by the new information he was gaining today.

When Bilbo came back up, he was still flushed but not quite as bad. "Y-you should go eat; it's p-past your mealtime." He scolded.

"Will I see you tomorrow?" Thorin smirked at him in challenge. 

"Of course you will." Bilbo snapped back with false temper. "I didn't wait two months just to see you for one day."

Thorin smiled in full now as he got up to go. But before he could go far, Bilbo called him back. "Yes?"

Bilbo fidgeted, drawing shapes on the deck. "Would you like to go for a swim?"

Thorin stared trying to decipher the invitation.

"With me. Tomorrow, I mean." Bilbo glanced up shyly, but didn't seem encouraged by Thorin's shocked stare. "It's just that you always seemed to want to join us when I swam with Kili, so I thought you might like to." He tried to explain, losing confidence as he went.

"I would love to." Thorin finally got his mouth to work properly.

Bilbo perked up. "Really?"

Thorin nodded, trying to figure out if he just made a date with the sea-man.

"Okay, I'll see you tomorrow then." Bilbo beamed at him before ducking back under the water.

The next morning, Thorin ate a big breakfast in anticipation that he would likely miss lunch, then began sorting out his scuba gear.

He didn't want to be encumbered with a lot, but he couldn't hold his breath that long, so, even with the bare minimum of a tank and mask, he still felt it was too much for swimming with the sea-man.

Thorin wondered if he should invest in some technological research for under water breathing devices. In fact, he was going to look into it as soon as he got back.

Bilbo was already waiting for him when he got down the the divers deck with his gear. He strapped his tank on and set his mask before dropping down into the water. 

He was still adjusting to the water when the most amazing sound hit his ears. 

"You wear the funniest things when you swim." Bilbo giggled sounding absolutely angelic.

Thorin would have gaped stupidly if he wasn't wearing a mask and breathing tube. He was so used to Bilbo's gravelly, raspy voice. He always thought there was something off about Bilbo's voice, but it never occurred to him it was just because he wasn't made for talking in a gaseous medium.

Clearly, Bilbo's vocals were made for a watery medium because he sounded heavenly under the water.

Thorin hadn't responded in so long, Bilbo was starting to get worried. "Are you okay?"

Thorin snapped out of his trance. He started to answer then realized he was still wearing his gear. He nodded.

Bilbo was already swimming circles around him in his excitement and started to lead him away. When Thorin wasn't fast enough, Bilbo grabbed his hand and started pulling him through the cove.

Thorin smiled to himself as Bilbo pulled him through the cove telling him about every little thing in that entirely too entrancing voice. Thorin couldn't help but wonder if this was the origin of the mythical siren. He was pretty sure he'd follow that voice to the depths of the ocean.

Bilbo pulled Thorin to the stone rimmed bare spot the Thorin had found and showed to his siblings. "This is my favorite sleeping spot." Bilbo let go of Thorin and coasted down to his 'bed.' He wiggled himself into the sand enjoying the feel on his skin and scales.

Thorin settled down next to him and ran his hand through the sand. So, that was why Bilbo kept the area clear. It was like a sea-person version of a nice, fluffy bed.

Bilbo flipped over onto his back. "I can see the stars and moon best from this spot, but it's also the most vulnerable, so I can't use it all the time."

Thorin nodded in understanding.

Bilbo pulled Thorin around some more and showed him a few more of his hiding places. He finally led Thorin over to where he had seen Bilbo the very first time, though he hadn't realized it then. Bilbo showed him the crevice under the tip of the island.

"This is where I stay most of the time, whenever I think there might be humans in the cove. I can't be under the sky directly, but I can still see most of the reef." Bilbo explained.

Thorin pointed to the sea-grass covered rocks, that now boardered the space, in question. 

"Oh, those are like . . stored food?" Bilbo wasn't sure how to compare it to something humans might have. "I keep them here because I can't always go out on the cove. I used to move them in and out so they would get sun, but I decided to just let them sit on the edge since I can't always get here to move them."

Thorin hated not being able to talk; he wanted to ask more questions, but he would have to wait until they were above water again. 

Bilbo continued to lead him around and it was nearly dinner time before he guided him back to the deck.

Thorin pulled himself out of the water and shucked off his gear. "That was amazing." He smiled at Bilbo, finally able to talk again.

Bilbo beamed back at him. "We can go again tomorrow."

Thorin shook his head morning both the loss of that angelic voice and that he wouldn't be able to stay tomorrow. "I have to leave in the morning."

Bilbo's face fell. "Oh."

"But I will be back as soon as I can and then we can do it again . . if you'd like." He smiled apologetically.

"Of course. I had a lot of fun, even if you are a slow swimmer." Bilbo smirked playfully. 

Thorin laughed. It wasn't really an insult coming from someone with fins. They said their goodbyes. Bilbo's mood dropped significantly, though he tried to hide it. Thorin promised to come back as soon as he could.

All too soon, Thorin was packing up to head back to work. He was having a harder and harder time calling that place his home, but, for now, he had to go back. At least he had the memories of an amazing date with the sea-man to keep him company.


	12. Fishing

It had been nearly another two months and Thorin was ready to get back to his island (and his sea-man), but he was trying to work it out so that he could visit the island during the next full moon. 

Being there when Bilbo could have legs was definitely something that he needed to explore. Unfortunately, his sister came bursting into his office one day before he could make the arrangements and threw his plans down the toilet.

"Dis." He greeted cautiously seeing the mood she was in.

"What did you do to my son?!" She accused.

Thorin was confused. He hadn't even seen the boys for more than a few minutes in several weeks. "If you are going to make accusations, you should be more specific."

"Don't play innocent with me Thorin. Ever since Kili stayed with you on that island, he has been begging and hounding to go back. Ever since he found out you went back without him, he's been moping around and sulking. Last night he burst into tears for no apparent reason and wouldn't tell me why. It has to be your fault."

"How did he find out I went without him?"

Dis rolled her eyes at him. "Oh please, Thorin, I know you _think_ you're being sneaky, but we all know about your secret vacation trips to the island. We just haven't said anything because we thought it was good for you."

Thorin suspected Balin, he was as bad as the rest of them when it came to keeping tabs on Thorin, not that he particularly cared as long as they left him alone.

"I don't know why you're blaming me. It's not my fault he likes my gifts better than yours." He goaded her a bit.

She glared at him. "Are you telling me all this is over that silly viewing room." Clearly not convinced.

Thorin shrugged. "That's all we did. We went to the boat everyday so he could watch the sea-life." Technically all true.

"You're telling me my son burst into tears last night over fish?" She obviously thought Thorin was covering for something.

Well, she was right, but Thorin wasn't about to tell her what.

"Fine, since this is your fault, you are going to pay for it. I know it's about time for another one of your 'secret vacations,' so we're turning it into a family vacation this time. Frerin has been complaining about not getting to fish the area anyway and you _will_ be joining him!" She laid down the law.

"I'll have Balin make the arrangements." She threw over her shoulder as she left as abruptly as she came.

Thorin just sighed. He would have to wait to meet Bilbo under the moonlight. Maybe if he cooperated his sister would leave him alone enough to let him actually spend some time with the sea-man.

Not even a week later, they were all arriving on the island. Since they arrived in the evening, Thorin didn't get the chance to see Bilbo that day, and, despite his and Kili's best efforts to sneak away the next day, Dis absolutely refused to let them go.

"You will stay here for one day and pretend that you care about your family more than that silly boat! Tomorrow you will go fishing with the guys. After that, you can go to your silly boat and sit in your silly viewing room and watch your silly fish as much as you want!" She had scolded.

Later, Thorin had kind of chuckled at her effort to make if G-rated for Kili since he was sure that wasn't how she was thinking it. She certainly wouldn't have held back if it was just Thorin she was chewing out.

Thorin didn't want to fight with her and possibly give away that there was something far more interesting at the boat than fish, so he kept quiet and did as she asked. But, it certainly wasn't easy. He found his thoughts on the boat with a certain sea-man more often than not.

He had made it through one day, now he just had to make it through tomorrow. That night, he was having a hard time getting to sleep, so he decided to take a walk in the gardens. He looked up at the moon as he walk, wishing he could have come on a full moon like he had planned, and let his feet take him wherever. 

He found himself down on the recreational dock, probably subconsciously trying to get back to the cove, when something jumped out of the water and nearly scared the daylights out of him.

"Thorin!" 

"Mahal, Bilbo!" He cussed once he finally got his heart back under control. "I told you not to do that!" He scolded quietly turning to scan the house for any movement. 

"Sorry." Bilbo looked more contrite this time and sunk back into the water till he was mostly submerged. 

"Wait! Don't go!" Thorin rushed to the edge afraid that Bilbo would leave.

Bilbo was there floating in the water a couple of feet from the deck. Thorin sighed in relief and sat on the edge of the dock, removing his shoes so he could dangle his feet in the water.

"It's not that I don't want to see you. I just don't want anyone else to see you. The whole family is here." Thorin looked over his shoulder again, paranoid.

Bilbo swam up until his head was above water. "I heard your boat come in yesterday, but you didn't come today." He said, no accusation in his voice.

"Sorry, Dis wouldn't let me. She insisted I spend a day with the family." 

Bilbo nodded in understanding."Tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow I have to go fishing with my brothers. The day after I'll be released and I can come out to the cove. We have to be careful though, I don't know what the others will decide to do."

Bilbo nodded again. "What's 'fishing'?"

Thorin wasn't sure how to explain it it to a 'fish-man.' "It's where you put lines with sharp hooks in the water to try and catch fish. We put something fish would like to eat on it, called bait, so when they bite it we can pull them up and catch them."

Bilbo tilted his head curiously. "Why?"

That was a better response than Thorin was expecting. "Some people like to eat the fish, some just do it for fun."

"Humans like to hurt fish for fun?" Bilbo looked concerned.

"Unfortunately, there are many humans that like to hurt animals and sometimes even other humans for fun. But we're not all like that." Thorin wasn't going to sugarcoat humanity, but he wanted Bilbo to know not all humans were the same. 

"Do you like to fish?" Bilbo asked innocently.

Thorin just shrugged. "I don't mind it. It's not my favorite thing to do. Frerin's really into it though. He's the reason we're all going out tomorrow."

"Your brother?" 

Thorin nodded.

They were silent for a few minutes, until Thorin finally broke it. "I want you to be careful the day after tomorrow. Even if I can come out to the cove, I don't know if any of the others will come with me. Don't come jumping out of the water until you know it's safe. In fact, you should probably stay hidden until you know it's safe."

Bilbo thought for a moment. "What if I'm not close enough to tell? I don't want to get stuck hiding under the boat all day."

That was a good question. "How about I give you a sign to let you know if it's safe or not?"

"What kind of sign?"

Thorin thought for a few minutes. "How about a rope? I could dangle a rope off the motor boat when I dock. If the rope is in the water, it means it's safe to come, if it's not, that means you should stay hidden."

Bilbo nodded. "Can I come see you tomorrow night?" 

"I'd like that, but you have to promise to be careful." 

"Okay." Bilbo gave him a small smile. "I should let you get to bed. I'll see you tomorrow night."

"All right, I'll see you tomorrow." He waved goodbye as Bilbo sunk into the water out of view. He hated for him to go, but at least he could look forward to seeing him tomorrow night.

Thorin managed to get some sleep, more at ease after seeing his sea-man, but still wasn't quite up to the energy his brother was exuding the next morning. It was to be an all day, guys only outing. They were taking the smaller yacht and having lunch out on the water. 

Frerin was the first one up and ready and did his best to push everyone to move faster so they could get out in the boat. Thorin wasn't particularly enthusiastic so he was probably the hardest to get moving. 

Kili hadn't wanted to join them, but decided to go with them at the last moment before they took off. He'd been looking particularly concerned all morning. Thorin suspected he was only coming to make sure no one hooked the sea-man.

They finally shoved off and started heading out to deeper water. They weren't going to be fishing in the cove or reef areas directly, but weren't going to be very far from them either. 

Thorin was also a little concerned for the sea-man. He had told Bilbo what they would be doing, but hadn't told him specifically to stay away from the area. Hopefully Bilbo didn't come this far away from the reef too often and it wouldn't be in issue.

They stopped the boat in a decent looking spot for fishing. Frerin was set up almost instantly and had his hook in the water before anyone else. Vince helped Fili get his rod ready before starting on his own.

Thorin took his time getting his set up, not really into it consider who he knew lived in these waters. "Do you want a rod Kili?" He figured he'd offer.

"No! I'm not fishing! How can you do it when you know what's down there, Uncle?!"

Thorin shushed him, hoping the others hadn't heard. Kili was at least trying to be quiet. He pulled Kili close. "He's smart, Kili. He won't mess with the hooks." Thorin assured him quietly, as much for his own sake as for Kili's.

Kili still wasn't very happy and just sat around pouting, though Thorin knew he was just concerned. Soon enough they each had a line in the water, except Kili of course. Thorin set his in a rod holder and settled into a lounger, not willing to put any more effort into it than necessary. 

It was a good ten minutes before anyone got any bites, and it was Frerin, of course, who got the first one. "Hey, I think I feel a nibble."

A few minutes later there was a strong jerk on his line. "Woah!" He braced against the side of the boat and started realing in his catch. "I think it's a big one!" He said straining to pull it up. 

"It's putting up quiet a fight!" He grunted, fighting with his catch on the line.

"Don't let it get away, Uncle Frerin!" Fili cheered him on.

Kili had been watching nervously and finally couldn't take it anymore. He slammed into Frerin, nearly knocking him off the boat. "Stop!!"

Vince and Thorin both rushed forward. Thorin grabbed Kili and got him to let go of Frerin while Vince grabbed a hold of Frerin helping him get his balance back before he could get yanked off the boat. 

Yet, through it all, Frerin refused to let go of his rod and lose his catch. "What was that for!"

"Kili, you knew we were going to be fishing. If you don't like it, you should have stayed with your mom on the island." Vince scolded, still hanging on to Frerin. 

"You're gonna hurt him!" Kili yelled back in tears fighting Thorin's hold on him.

"That's enough, Kili!" Thorin scolded. "You almost knocked your uncle off the boat."

"But he's hurting him! Don't you care?!" Kili sobbed into Thorin's shirt.

Kili seemed to be convinced the fish that Frerin was reeling in was Bilbo. Vince was getting concerned. "What is this about?" He directed at both Kili and Thorin.

Thorin sighed. "There's a fish he watches a lot in the cove. He's gotten attached to it. He must think Frerin is going to catch him." He explained, technically telling the truth (though Bilbo would probably disagree).

Vince came and kneeled in front of Kili. "The fish you're worried about lives in the cove. Reef fish don't usually leave their reef. I'm sure your fish is safe in the cove, Kili. You can't be knocking us off the boat every time someone catches something." He reassured.

"I've almost got it!" A few moments later Frerin shouted triumphantly as his catch broke through the surface of the water. It was the largest, slimiest. . old boot they had ever seen. 

They all gaped at the boot in bafflement, but none more so than Frerin. "What? What is this?"

"It looks like a boot." Thorin fought back a smirk.

"This isn't some dirty river! This is the ocean! How could I catch a boot in the middle of the ocean?!" Frerin sounded personally offended.

Kili started giggling and Vince just chuckled. "You must be very talented." Vince congratulated him. 

Frerin ripped the old boot off his hook and threw it down on the deck. He rebaited his hook and threw it back in the water. 

Thorin wondered himself about the appearance of the old boot, but had a sneaking suspicion he knew how it got there. A couple hours later, he was pretty confident he was right.

"What is this?! It's like there's no fish in this ocean, just garbage!" Frerin complained loudly as he threw the piece of old net he had just caught onto the, rather impressive, pile of garbage they had collected so far.

Thorin was trying to contain his chuckles, but Kili was practically rolling on the deck laughing. 

Even Fili was getting frustrated. "It's not funny, Kili!" He yelled at his brother.

"Hey, now." Vince warned, fighting a chuckle himself. "I don't think you need to worry about that fish now, Kili." He said good humoredly.

"Have you caught anything, Uncle Thorin?" Fili wondered.

Thorin just shrugged. He hadn't really even been paying attention to his rod and hadn't checked it in nearly an hour now. Just then his unattended rod gave a mighty jerk, catching everyone's attention. 

Thorin got up and went to attend his rod, not in any hurry. 

"What are you doing? Pull it up!" Frerin was already invested in the catch.

Thorin took his time reeling it in, nearly driving his brother crazy. Finally, he pulled up a fish so big that a Frerin and Vince both had to help pull it up with nets and even then it was a challenge.

"Woah, Uncle Thorin! He's huge!" Fili admired.

"How is it you're the only one here who manages to catch something when you don't even care of you catch one or not?" Frerin groused.

Thorin just shrugged. He was kind of baffled himself. He figured the only reason he wasnt pulling up garbage like the rest of them was because he wasn't bothering to pull it up at all. Could Bilbo have known it was his hook? 

They shoved his giant fish into the ice box. Thorin was determined to see it get eaten. Frerin was encouraged by Thorin's catch and started fishing again with renewed vigor. Thorin put his gear away, figuring he'd done enough to say he participated and decided to relax on his lounge chair instead. 

Kili, feeling much better about the whole trip now, went and sat with his uncle in his lounge chair. The two of them dozed off, neither of them having gotten much sleep the night before for very similar reasons.

Thorin was still the only one who had caught anything by lunch time, so Vince called it quits and went to relax with Thorin and Kili.

Fili lasted maybe another hour before he too gave up. Finally, a couple hours before dinner, Frerin threw in the the towel himself, throwing himself moodily into a deck chair. "I can't believe, after a full day of fishing, all we have to show for it is one fish, and a great pile of garbage. And I didn't even catch the fish!" Frerin complained.

Kili giggled and Thorin chuckled. There was no doubt in either of their minds that a certain sea-man was involved.

"I'm glad you think it's so funny! This was a whole day wasted!" Frerin groused grumpily. 

"Oh, now. It wasn't wasted. We spent it together didn't we? And you have to admit, it is kinda funny." Vince intercepted.

"Maybe tomorrow it will be. It's not funny right now!" Frerin was just too grumpy to see it in a humorous light.

"Well, at least Thorin caught us a big one. We should get a few fillets out of that." Vince reminded.

Thorin just scoffed. It's not like he had a whole lot to do with catching it.

Since they had all given up trying to catch anymore, they decided to pick up and head back to the island. They got back just in time for dinner, where they regaled Dis with their no-fish fishing adventure.

"Huh. It must have been true then." Dis said, not all that surprised by the story.

"What? Are you saying you knew we wouldn't catch anything?" Frerin's irritation was making a comeback.

"Of course I didn't _know_ , but when I was looking to buy this place the realtor did mention that the waters around here weren't good for fishing. Said all the previous owner could catch was garbage. I just figured he was a bad fisherman. Besides, you said Thorin caught one, didn't you?"

"It was a fluke!! He left his line down there for hours and then he suddenly catches this huge monster of a fish! Either he's magic or super lucky." Frerin accused.

Thorin laughed. "I promise I didn't secretly become Aguaman when you weren't looking." 

"You very well could have with all the time you've spending here. Maybe you actually have some kind of secret lair hidden under the island somewhere." Frerin theorized.

Thorin just shook his head. He had a secret, all right, but it wasn't a lair.

"Well, at least we can say we did our share in cleaning up the ocean today." Vince threw in good humoredly. 

Everyone chuckled but Frerin and Fili, who were both still a bit put out by it all.

Later that night, when everyone else had gone to bed, Thorin made his way down to the dock for his secret rendezvous. Bilbo was already there waiting. 

"Did you like your fish?" Bilbo cheerfully asked as Thorin took off his shoes and sat down.

Thorin chuckled. "So it _was_ you." 

Bilbo just grinned at him, propping his chin and arms on the dock.

Thorin nodded. "Yeah, but why was I the only one who got one?"

Bilbo shrugged. "Cause you're friends with a sea-person." He grinned mischievously.

Thorin laughed. "Where did you even get all that garbage?"

"I have a stash. I save it for when ever you humans come drop those hooks in the water. Seems fair to me. It's human junk anyway." Bilbo shrugged.

Thorin chuckled and nodded. He had a point. "And where did you find that giant fish? We could barely get him in the boat."

"It wasn't that hard. I had to do _something_ with all that meat they were putting in the water. I just found a big fish and lured it over, after I put a bunch of bait on your hook, of course. The fish did the rest." 

"How did you even know which hook was mine?" 

"You were closest to it and you didn't seem all that interested. I remembered you said it wasn't really your thing. What are you gonna do with it?"

"The fish? We'll have it butchered and eat it."

"That's good." Bilbo nodded. "Did I make the others angry? Some of them didn't sound very happy."

Thorin chuckled. "Just Frerin and maybe Fili a bit."

"Should I not have?" Bilbo asked uncertainly.

Thorin shook his head. "You didn't do anything wrong. They'll get over it."

"Maybe next time you should go shark fishing. I don't like sharks." 

"Maybe we should." Thorin chuckled.

"Uncle? Who are you talking to?"

Instantly, Bilbo dropped into the water and Thorin spun around in alarm. "Fili?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cliffhanger! Sorry. I try not to do that but I reached my quota and I knew if I didn't stop it would end up way longer. I guess, you'll have to wait till next week.


	13. Sharing

"Fili, what are you doing out here?" 

Fili was looking around. "I had to go to the bathroom and I saw you going out, so I followed you."

"You followed me? Why?" 

Fili fidgeted. "Well, mom thinks you're up to something."

"And you wanted to know what." Thorin finished for him.

"Who were you talking to, Uncle?" Fili was looking around again.

"Myself." Thorin tried.

Fili looked at him unimpressed. "I heard another voice, Uncle."

Thorin sighed and thought for a moment. "Come here." He gestured his nephew over.

Fili walked down the dock to where Thorin was. 

"Sit." Thorin patted the space next to him. 

Fili was only in his sleeping shorts, he hadn't even put shoes on. He dangled his feet off the dock not quiet reaching the water.

"If I tell you, you can't tell anyone, not your mom, not your dad, no one. Understand?" Thorin needed Fili to accept this.

Fili looked uncertain. He was taught not to keep secrets from his parents. "It's a secret from the family? Why?"

"Because it's not my secret." Thorin explained. "It's not harmful and you can blame me for not being able to tell anyone if they ever find out."

Fili thought a moment before nodding hesitantly. "Okay."

"Bilbo! This is Fili, Kili's brother. He won't tell anyone. Would you like to meet him?" Thorin spoke into the water.

Fili looked at him in concern, maybe his uncle was going a little crazy being out here on the island alone so much. Suddenly, he noticed something surfacing in the water and jumped violently with a yelp when he realized it was a face.

Thorin grabbed him before he could get up or, more likely, fall in. "It's okay! It's okay. This is Bilbo."

Fili stared at his uncle in disbelief glancing over at the head seemingly floating on the water every few seconds. "What . . What?!"

"Do you remember that conversation we had over dinner way back, about mermaids." Thorin tried to jog Fili's memory. 

Fili looked at his uncle like he really was crazy. "Yeah."

"This is Kili's mermaid." Thorin explained.

Fili just gaped at his uncle in disbelief. His uncle had lost his mind.

Bilbo swatted Thorin's leg. "Not a maid."

"Ow." Thorin rubbed his leg. "I was just using a term he'd recognize."

Bilbo glared unimpressed.

"Fine. He's not a 'mermaid', he's a 'sea-person'." Thorin corrected himself turning back to his nephew.

Fili was still staring at him, trying to figure out if his uncle really was crazy or if this was some kind of elaborate prank.

Thorin just shook his head and turned back to Bilbo. "Why don't you come up here? I feel like you're far away down there."

Bilbo shook his head. "The ledge is too high. It's uncomfortable. I can't get a good grip with my fins."

"Alright." Thorin shifted a bit then held his hands out. "Come on. Up."

Bilbo eyed him warily.

Thorin huffed. "Come on. Last time was an accident. Don't you get tired of being way down there?"

Bilbo eyed him for a little longer before he started to orient himself in front of Thorin.

Fili watched in amazement as Bilbo pushed himself out of the water and reached his fins out toward his uncle. Thorin grabbed Bilbo's fins and pulled him closer, draping a fin over each of his legs.

"There. Isn't that better?" Thorin asked.

"For me. Your legs are probably going to go numb. My tail's heavy out of the water." Bilbo retorted.

"I'll manage. If it gets too bad, I'll just push you off and take a break." Thorin bluffed playfully. 

"You push me off, I'm taking you with me." Bilbo threatened back.

Thorin laughed and the sea-man's cheek.

Fili reached out and touched Bilbo's fin. "It's real!"

Thorin chuckled at his reaction. "Of course it is. Did you really think I could fake this much? Besides, it's not like I knew someone was going to follow me out here."

"I don't know. But mermaids aren't real! How can he be real?" Fili asked, still struggling to accept it.

"Not a maid." Bilbo corrected.

"What?" Fili looked Bilbo over more thoroughly this time. "Oh, you're a guy!"

Bilbo huffed and Thorin chuckled.

"So, wait. Has Kili known about him all this time?" He asked his uncle.

Thorin nodded. "Since before the mermaid conversation." 

"Why didn't he tell me?" Fili was disappointed his brother didn't confide in him.

"Would you have believed him? You're barely believing your own eyes." Thorin challenged.

"Well, that's cause fish-people aren't real."

"Not a fish." Bilbo corrected again.

Fili looked at him, baffled. "Then what are you?"

"I'm a sea-person." 

Fili looked at his uncle in confusion.

Thorin just shrugged. "I guess 'fish-person' is offensive."

Fili continued to stare at his uncle. "How long have you known about him?"

Thorin shrugged. "I knew for sure after your mom, Frerin and I went scuba diving. I found him hidden in the coral."

Fili looked like he wanted to say something, but didn't. He looked at the sea-person again, examining him more carefully. "Wait a minute." He said remembering the conversation he had walked in on. "Are you why we only caught garbage today?" He said accusingly.

Thorin chuckled and nodded, when Bilbo just feigned innocence.

"Why?!" Fii gasped.

Bilbo shrugged. "I just gave back what was yours."

"What? We didn't put that stuff in there." Fili asked confused.

"Maybe you didn't, but humans did. He was just sending it back." Thorin intercepted.

Fili digested that a moment. "But, you caught something, Uncle Thorin. Did you do that too?" Fili asked Bilbo.

Bilbo shrugged again. "I knew Thorin didn't really care and I didn't want you to go home empty handed."

Fili thought quietly for a few seconds and started to look concerned. "Are you okay?"

Thorin and Bilbo both looked at him. "What?" "Why?" They asked in unison. 

"Well, there were a lot of hooks in the water. Kili seemed really worried about you. I guess it was you anyway." Fili explained.

"I'm fine. I mess with all the humans who try to fish around here." Bilbo confessed.

Fili smirked, finally seeing the humor. "I guess it is kinda funny. Can you put a fish on my line next time, though."

Thorin and Bilbo both laughed at the request and Bilbo promised he would.

Thorin patted Bilbo's tail. "I should probably get Fili back to bed before his mom notices he's gone. I'll see you tomorrow. If it's not safe in the cove, I'll see you here again tomorrow night?"

Bilbo nodded, before he started to slip off Thorin legs back into the water. "Okay. Goodnight." He slipped under the water after hearing Thorin's responding 'night'.

Thorin and Fili got up and started head back to the house. 

They walked quietly for a few minutes before Fili spoke up. "He's why you keep coming back here, isn't he?"

Thorin looked at him, surprised, not sure how much the kid would understand. "What makes you think that?"

Fili raised a brow at him. "I'm not a kid like Kili. You like him. And I mean _like_ like him."

"That sounds like something Kili would say." Thorin tried to divert.

"Well, do you love him then?" Fili pried, taking the opening Thorin gave him.

Thorin sighed, not really wanting to have this conversation with his nine year old nephew. "Do you even know what that means?"

Fili shrugged. "I know it's what mom and dad have."

"And why would you think I would have that with Bilbo?"

Fili raised a brow at his uncle. "He was sitting in your lap, Uncle. Sea-person style maybe, but he was still sitting in your lap. And you come here to sea him. Mom says you get grumpy when you haven't been here in awhile. She already thinks you might have a secret lover. She just doesn't really believe it yet."

Thorin spluttered at the things coming out of his nephew's mouth. He rubbed a hand down his face in exasperation. They had stopped on the path to the house. "Alright, yes. Yes, I think I might be in love with a sea-man." He confessed in a whoosh to his nine year old nephew.

Fili looked at him uncertain. "Uncle, he's part fish. You can't exactly . . marry him." Fili summed up everything with a simple sentiment.

Thorin sighed again. "I know. It's not simple. But it's not impossible either." He mumbled at the end.

Fili was still studying his uncle with concern. Finally he shrugged. "Okay. I like him."

Thorin looked at his nephew in surprise. Had Fili just given his approval? "You're okay with having a fish-man uncle?"

"Not a fish." Fili corrected with a smirk.

Thorin chuckled in surprise. "No, and don't tell him I said that either."

Fili shrugged. "It might be a lot of fun, actually. Maybe mom will actually let us swim with him when she finds out."

Thorin hummed ambiguously. No need to get into that tonight. "Thank you." Thorin said as they started walking again.

Fili shrugged. "He makes you happy. I understand that much. That's all mom really wants too. You know you have to tell her eventually. The longer you wait, the worse it will be."

Thorin chuckled nervously. For all of Dis's slender frame, she was not to be underestimated. Thorin wasn't sure how she did it, but she could be very intimidating despite her small size. Thorin suspected she got it from their mom.

"I can't tell her until Bilbo's ready." 

Fili nodded in understanding.

Thorin walked Fili back to his room before heading to his own. He fell asleep hoping that he would be able to see Bilbo tomorrow.

The next morning Thorin and Kili were eager to head out to the boat, but held themselves back to avoid arousing any suspicion. After breakfast, they casually began getting ready to head out.

What no one was expecting, was for Fili to ask to come along too. Well, no one but Thorin. He wasn't the least bit surprised.

"But you don't even like the boat that much." Kili almost whined, sure that he wouldn't get to see Bilbo today either.

"Of course you're welcome to come Fili." Thorin intervened before the boys' parents decided to get involved. "Dori should have lunch ready for us out on the boat." 

"You're taking both of them?" Frerin asked. The boys going with Thorin meant that Frerin and Vince were free to do something they couldn't do with the kids.

"Seems so." Thorin answered over his shoulder as he and the boys headed down to the dock. 

Kili sulked the whole ride out to the boat, sure that his day was ruined. Fili refused to reveal that he already knew about Bilbo. Probably as payback for Kili not telling him about Bilbo first.

Thorin tied up their boat before throwing a spare rope over the side to leave dangling in the water. 

Fili watch in fascination and Kili in confusion and Thorin went through his regular routine of preparing a fruit bowl for Bilbo before heading down to the divers deck with his offering. The boys followed him behind him, Kili looking increasingly confused.

"Uncle, what are you doing?" Kili finally asked as Thorin hopped down to the lower deck.

"You wanted to see Bilbo didn't you?" He smirked at Kili's gaping stare.

"But, " Kili glanced at his brother who was climbing down to the deck.

"I already know, Kili." Fili finally revealed.

Just then Bilbo popped up out of the water. "Kili!" Bilbo smiled wide at him.

Kili smiled back, momentarily forgetting about Fili knowing about the sea-man. "Bilbo!" He yelled as Thorin helped him down. As soon as his feet hit the deck, he ran at the sea-man. Bilbo pushed up out of the water just in time to catch him in a hug. 

Kili's momentum nearly pushed them over and Thorin had to grab them before they both fell back into the water. Bilbo laughed as Kili clung to him, happy to see him too. Kili finally let him go so he could sink back down to a more comfortable position. 

Bilbo propped up over his fruit bowl as Thorin sat beside him on the deck. "Hi, Fili."

"Hey, Bilbo." Fili sat down on the deck near Bilbo and Kili.

"What? You already know each other?" Kili asked perplexed.

"I met him last night." Fili explained since Bilbo was too busy munching on his fruit.

"What? When last night? Did you see Bilbo last night, Uncle Thorin?" Kili asked, feeling left out. 

"I've been meeting Bilbo at the dock the past couple nights." Thorin confessed. He knew what was coming next.

"What? Why didn't you tell me?" Kili pouted.

"It was too late for you, Kili. I didn't mention it because I didn't want you to feel bad." Thorin tried to reason with his nephew.

Kili was still pouting. "Then why did Fili get to meet him?"

"Cause Fili's a little sneak." Thorin sent a playful glare at his other nephew.

Fili shrugged unrepentant. 

They chatted for a while as Bilbo ate his fruit. Kili wanted to get his brother all caught up about sea-people. Thorin just listened, occasionally swinging his feet and rubbing them up against Bilbo's tail and fin.

He'd prefer having Bilbo in his lap, but, after Fili's revelation, figured he should probably avoid such blatant acts with his nephews around from now on. But it didn't mean he couldn't play fin-footsies with the sea-man.

Bilbo didn't seem to mind and would occasionally reciprocate by gently rubbing his fin down Thorin's leg under the water. Thorin couldn't help the small smile the that seemed fixed to his face.

Finally Bilbo finished his fruit and ducked under the water to clean off. "Ready for a swim?" He asked Kili after coming back up.

"Yes!" Kili was out of his shirt and jumping into Bilbo's waiting arms before anyone could say otherwise. 

"Kili!" Fili yelled at his brother. When he was ignored, he turned to his uncle. "Mom's gonna kill you both if she finds out!"

"Then she better not find out." Thorin sent a warning look at his nephew. 

Fili just gaped at him, obviously convinced Thorin was walking a dangerous line.

"I thought you wanted to swim in the cove?" Thorin asked with every intention of making Fili an accomplice.

Fili's mouth snapped shut and he watched Kili and Bilbo swimming around near the boat. Kili wasn't even wearing a life jacket! But Bilbo did have fins. It's not like he would lose Kili. His concern quickly morphed into envy. 

"Come on, Fili!" Kili called from the water.

Fili looked to his uncle for permission. When Thorin just shrugged, Fili stripped off his shirt. He wasn't quiet as careless as Kili and waited until Bilbo signaled for him to jump in. 

Bilbo shuffled Kili onto his back so he could hang on to Fili for as he pulled him around a bit. They swam around for a little over an hour. Bilbo would shuffle them around giving them each turns swimming while the other held onto him from the back. At one point, he even pulled them both around one hanging on to each hand.

When they were finally wore out, Bilbo delivered them back to Thorin on the deck, though Thorin had to lift them out since Bilbo couldn't lift them both out at the same time.

By the time the boys were dried, it was time for lunch. Kili made Bilbo promise not to leave so they could eat lunch down on the deck with him. Thorin and the boys each grabbed their lunches and Thorin grabbed a little something extra for Bilbo and they headed back down to the deck. 

They ate their lunch sitting around Bilbo on the divers deck. Thorin would pick pieces of his lunch to let Bilbo try it, but otherwise the sea-man was content with his fruit. When they had all finished and put away their trash, Kili reminded Bilbo of his promise.

"You said I could touch your fins next time I saw you." 

Bilbo nodded. "Okay, but you need to clear me some space."

"On the deck?" Thorin asked curious. 

Bilbo nodded again. "Yeah, I'll come up there. Just don't touch the middle one on top!" He emphasized before pushing his tail up onto the edge of the deck that they had cleared for him. After some flopping around, he got situated more confortabley. He had his fins on one side and most of his tail fin still in the water, but the rest of him was laid out on the deck.

The boys gaped in awe as the sun glittered off of Bilbo's metallic scales. Fili had never seem all of Bilbo before, and even for Kili it was much more impressive to see him sprawled out right in front of him.

Thorin took advantage of the opportunity and raked his eyes over Bilbo's form, appreciating the subtle curves and dips. 

Bilbo just laid his head on his arms, content to bath in the sun as the others admired his beloved tail.

Kili ran his fingers over fins and scales alike marveling and the smooth feeling of them. "Why can't we touch the one on top?" He wondered out loud.

Bilbo looked at Thorin, at a loss of how to explain it. "It's something only couples do." He explained for the sea-man.

"Oohhh. So, it's like patting your bottom." Kili compared.

Thorin choked on the drink he had just taken, hacking to get his soda out of his lungs. Why were his nephews so good at making these kinds of human/sea-person comparisons? Though, he suspected it was really more like fondling his rear than patting it, based on Bilbo's reaction.

"Are you all right?" Bilbo looked at him concerned while Fili just giggled in the background.

Thorin just nodded, not yet trusting his voice to work properly. 

Kili just continued to examine and admire Bilbo's beautiful tail. He picked up the pectoral fin that Bilbo had on the deck. "It's so heavy." He grunted. "And so long." 

Bilbo just chuckled, stretching out his fin for Kili to admire. "It has to be strong in the water and the weight doesn't matter as much down there."

"But why is it so long?" Fili asked. "Not that it's not pretty, it just seems a bit long."

Bilbo shrugged. "I guess some of us just have long fins."

"Did your parents have long fins like this?" Kili asked.

Bilbo thought for a moment. "No, their fins were normal."

"Huh. You must be special then." Kili concluded.

Bilbo chuckled. "Well, that's very nice of you to say Kili, but these fins seem to get me into a lot of trouble, so maybe it's not such a good thing."

"How so?" Thorin asked concerned.

Bilbo looked at him. "Both times you saw me it was because of my fins."

"Was it bad that I saw you?"

"It could have been. You could have been different . . or a shark." Bilbo shivered at the thought, neither sounded pleasant. 

Bilbo was right, he didn't know if Thorin would try to hurt him or not. 

"Well, I like 'em. They're really pretty in the water." Kili said as if that settled everything. 

They chatted with Bilbo until almost dinner time. They said goodbye before heading back. Thorin knew Dis wouldn't be pleased if they weren't back for dinner. They only had a couple more days on the island and Thorin and the boys spent every day out on the boat with Bilbo. 

They talked, they swam, and they even sun bathed with him in the deck. as much as Thorin wished he could be alone with the sea-man, he didn't begrudge his nephews their time with him. He knew he would be able to come back much sooner then them. 

All too soon they were saying their final goodbyes for awhile. Both the boys gave Bilbo hugs, Fili having grown quickly attached himself. Thorin left Bilbo with promises and reassurances that he would be back as soon as he could.

The next morning they left the island. Thorin couldn't help but feel like he left a little more of his heart there everytime he left.


	14. Legs

Thorin made sure to plan his next vacation well ahead of time. He couldn’t plan his trip for either of the next two moons, because they were too close to his last vacation time, so he planned it for the third full moon out.

He planned it so he could be at his island for two days and three nights. That way he could minimize how much time he had to take off but still be there for all three nights of the full moon.

Now he just had to wait until then. Waiting was definitely the hard part. He often found himself daydreaming of being back at the island spending time with Bilbo. Sometimes he would daydream about what it would be like to spend time with him when he had legs. 

He would admit that he was really looking forward to that. He only hoped he could convince Bilbo to come back ashore with him, considering how scared he was when Thorin found him. 

But Thorin was sure he could coax him out of the water. Bilbo seemed to have developed a deep trust with Thorin. The thought excited and flattered him. Maybe a lovers relationship wasn’t just a fantasy.

He wasn’t sure if or when he should confess to Bilbo. Knowing what he did about Bilbo’s nature, he knew he was going to have to be the first one to say it, but he wasn’t sure how soon would be too soon. He didn’t want to scare the sea-man away.

He would see how things were going after he started spending time with Bilbo during the full moons. He should be able to better gauge where their relationship is at when they're on more even ground. But first, he had to get through the waiting.

Finally, a little over two months later, Thorin was loading up to head out to the island. He left the morning of the first night of the full moon, so he could get to the island in time to see Bilbo before the sun went down. 

He didn’t even stop at the island, but headed straight out for the boat in the cove. He practically dropped his things there on the deck and quickly prepared a fruit bowl. After all, Bilbo was pretty easy to bribe with food.

By the time he made it down to the divers deck, Bilbo was already waiting for him. “Thorin!” He yelled excitedly.

“Hey!” Thorin greeted cheerfully with a smile as he sat down on the deck, handing over the fruit bowl. It always amazed him how different it felt to be back here at the island. It was like coming home after a long work trip.

Bilbo beamed at him, gladly accepting his fruit bowl. “You’re here late today. Usually you arrive in the morning.”

“You’ve got me for the next two days and three nights. I wanted to catch up on some sleep before I came or I would have been here this morning.” 

Bilbo tilted his head curious. “Why? If you don’t normally.”

“Because tonight is the first night of the full moon.” Thorin didn’t see any reason to hide his intentions.

Bilbo looked at him startled. He hadn’t really been keeping track of the full moons since his last fiasco. He fidgeted nervously. “Okay?”

“I was hoping I could spend some time with you . . on land.” Thorin requested softly. As much as he wanted it, he wouldn’t push Bilbo if he wasn’t comfortable with it.

Bilbo focused on his fruit, looking indecisive. He glanced back at Thorin an realized he was waiting for an answer. “I . ummm . “

“You don’t have to, if you don’t want to. But I want you to know that I wouldn’t let anything happen to you, if you decided to.” Those were the only reassurences Thorin could give. He would never ask Bilbo to put himself at risk. He wanted him to know that much.

Bilbo looked at him surprised before turning back to his fruit. He thought quietly for a few minutes. “There’s a human on the island.” It was posed as a statement, but Thorin knew it was more of a question.

“He works for me.” Thorin nodded. “As long as you’re with me, he won’t pay much attention to you.”

“The island is yours?” Bilbo asked.

“I own it, yes. There won’t be anyone else here.” He confirmed.

Bilbo munched on his fruit quietly in thought. Thorin kept silent, giving Bilbo room to think.

"It has been a long time since I got to feel the sand on the beach." He finally said.

Thorin grinned at him, trying to hold back the full force of his relief and excitement. "Tonight?"

Bilbo sent him a studying glance. "Okay."

Thorin's control over his face seemed to be slipping as his grin only got wider. "I'll meet you at the dock later tonight then." The sun was already starting to go down. He would need to head back to the island soon.

Bilbo nodded and handed over the empty bowl. He still looked a bit uncertain. 

"I promise you'll be safe." Thorin assured one more time.

Bilbo nodded but still didn't look all that convinced.

They said goodbye with a promise to see each other later and Thorin headed back to the island. He knew Bilbo wouldn't feel safe coming up on the island until it was fully dark, so he tried to catch a couple hours of sleep before he would be meeting up with him.

The effort was futile. He was too excited about tonight to get any sleep, so ended up sitting out on his balcony watching the water instead. When the sun had fully set and the light in the sky had faded, he headed down to the dock.

When he got there, it seemed like Bilbo hadn't arrived yet, so he sat down and on the edge of the dock to wait. When Bilbo's head slowly surfaced a few moments later, Thorin suspected the sea-man was just dragging his tail fin.

"Hey." He greeted. "You ready?"

Bilbo eyed him indecisively before hesitantly nodding.

"So, how does this work exactly?"

Bilbo sunk back just under the surface and started swimming around towards the shore.

Thorin quickly got up and followed the wake of Bilbo's fin. By the time Thorin got to him, Bilbo was already dragging himself up the beach using his arms and fins. It was no wonder Bilbo was so hesitant. He was extremely vulnerable away from the water. 

When he was far enough up the beach, Bilbo cushioned his head on his arms and rested, tired from dragging his heavy tail up the beach. 

Thorin sat down beside him. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

Bilbo just shook his head.

"So, what happens now?"

"We wait."

Thorin nodded. At first, he thought it would be best to give Bilbo some space, but, when he noticed a subtle tremble in the sea-man's fins, he decided a different approach was in order. Thorin lay down next to him in the sand, head propped on his hand, and started stroking Bilbo's fins and scales soothingly.

Bilbo stared at him in surprise before he gradually started to relax. Several minutes later, Bilbo's eyes had closed and Thorin was beginning to wonder if he had fallen asleep, when Bilbo started glowing.

Thorin leaned back to get a better look at what was happening. Bilbo's whole body flashed brightly before the light started to fade into nothing again. When the light had fully faded, Thorin realized he wasn't looking at a sea-man anymore.

Bilbo pushed himself up gingerly on his new legs until he was in kneeling on his hands and knees before pausing to let his legs adjust.

Thorin was just now realizing a major flaw in his fantasies. Yes, Bilbo was in human form now, but he was also in a very attractive and _naked_ human form and was clearly not ashamed of it one bit. Thorin stared transfixed as Bilbo carefully sat back on his legs.

Bilbo noticed Thorin staring and started fidgeting uncertainly. "What?" 

Thorin snapped himself out of his daze, reminding himself it wasn't polite to stare. "Nothing. You're just . . very attractive . . like this as well." He said sitting up fully.

Bilbo blushed clearly not expecting such an answer. "Oh." Bilbo moved his legs into a more comfortable sitting positing, unwittingly putting himself on full display for Thorin.

Thorin sucked in a deep breath. This was a problem he did not foresee. Certain parts of him were becoming far too interested far too fast. He needed to get Bilbo covered for his own sanity's sake.

Thorin started unbuttoning his shirt. Bilbo watched him curiously. Thorin pulled it off, leaving himself bare, and pulled it over Bilbo’s shoulders.

“What are you doing?” He ask befuddled.

Thorin sighed, he was doing his best to push back his urges, he didn’t need Bilbo resisting him on this. “Humans wear clothes to cover up . . certain areas.” He said trying his best not to glance at said certain areas.

Thorin’s explanation did nothing to clear up Bilbo’s confusion and he stared at Thorin as if waiting for an explanation that actually made sense. 

“Please just wear it.” Thorin nearly begged.

Bilbo still didn’t understand but he pushed his arms through the sleeves and let Thorin button him up.

Thorin’s shirt was more like a gown on Bilbo, coming almost to his knees. Thorin heaved a sigh of relief as Bilbo was covered up. Maybe he could get through the night without making a fool of himself after all. 

“It feels weird.” Bilbo observed, having never worn clothes before. “Wait. Now you aren’t wearing one!” He realized, though he wasn’t entirely sure what it was called or why Thorin really needed it.

Thorin chuckled at Bilbo’s concern. “It’s fine. I still have my shorts.” He pulled at his shorts to show what he was talking about.

“Huh. Wait. I’ve seen you and the boys go with one of these many times, so why do I have to wear one?” Bilbo said yanking on the offending shirt.

“We were still wearing shorts. It’s not the top that needs covered . .” Thorin fidgeted trying to explain. “Males only really need to cover . . this area.” Thorin waved his hands around his hips from front to back.

Bilbo tilted his head in confusion. “Why?”

Thorin dropped his head with a sigh, trying to figure out how he was going to explain this. He lifted his head again, ready to make his first attempt. “Are there any parts of a sea-person that are considered . . indecent to show off?”

“Not really.” Bilbo shrugged.

Thorin raised a brow at him. “Really? There’s nothing you don’t typically go swimming around showing off?” Not that it didn’t kinda make sense. Bilbo’s sex organs were obviously internal, so there wasn’t really anything to show off, unless the women went topless as well.

“Well, Maybe. I don’t know about other sea-people.” 

“Okay.” On to attempt number two. “Well . . “ On second thought, Thorin didn’t see this going anywhere he really wanted to go tonight. “It’s just how humans are. It’s better to keep certain areas covered.” He said giving up. If he was going to have a sex talk with Bilbo, he’d much rather include demonstrations.

”Oh.” Bilbo didn’t sound like he was very convinced, but let the topic drop. 

Thorin pushed himself up and brushed the sand off. “Would you like to walk the beach with me?” He said offering Bilbo a hand.

Bilbo nodded with a grin and took Thorin’s hand, accepting the help up. Thorin had to catch him almost as soon as he straightened up. Bilbo wobbled readjusting to his legs and sense of balance.

Thorin held him steady as he adjusted. When Bilbo gave him a nod. He tentatively let go, but stayed ready to catch him again. 

Bilbo was standing just fine, but when he went to take a step, he over balanced and fell forwards right into Thorin’s arms. Thorin’s held him close, trying to hold him up as he regained his balance.

Bilbo was all stuttering apologies as he found himself braced up against Thorin’s bare chest trying to get his feet back under himself. 

Thorin chuckled and offered assurances that it was fine, though he was immensely grateful that Bilbo was covered when it happened.

A couple minutes later, Bilbo tried again, but, this time, Thorin kept a hold of his arm to give him some support. Once Bilbo had made it several steps without falling, Thorin released his arm in favor of grabbing his hand and started leading him down the beach.

They walked in silence for a while along the sandy beach fingers entwined. Thorin wasn’t sure if Bilbo knew the significance of hand-holding, but wasn’t about to ruin it by asking. He had taken his shoes off so he could enjoy the warm sand on his feet with Bilbo.

Finally Bilbo pulled him to a stop before plopping down in the sand. “My legs are tired.”

Thorin chuckled as he sat down beside him. He wasn’t really surprised considering Bilbo hadn’t walked on legs in over a year.

“Humans have such weird appendages.” Bilbo commented while studying his own legs.

“They seem to serve us well enough.” Thorin returned with a chuckle.

“They don’t serve you very well in the water.” Bilbo retorted. “Though, I guess they do better than fins on land.”

Thorin nodded. “I can see why you don’t risk coming on land often. It would be dangerous to be found while you’re waiting for your legs.”

Bilbo shrugged. “I’m not even sure what the point of being able to get legs on the full moon is. Not that I don’t enjoy it. It just doesn’t seem to have much of a purpose.”

Thorin nodded in understanding. “Well, whatever the reason, I’m glad you can. I wouldn’t be able to walk the beach with you if you couldn’t.”

”I’m sure you could find someone else.” Bilbo responded a dit sadly.

“I don’t think I’d want to with anyone else.” Thorin confided confidently.

Bilbo looked at him in surprise, but quickly turned away with a blush after seeing the sincerity in Thorin’s eyes.

“I don’t think I’d want to with anyone else either.” Bilbo confessed quietly still avoiding looking at Thorin.

Thorin smiled at the admission and decided to take a risk. He leaned over into Bilbo’s space and gently nuzzled into Bilbo’s hair. If Bilbo didn’t like it, all he had to do was lean away. When he didn’t, Thorin placed a gentle kiss into his hair, before pulling away.

Even in the moonlight, Thorin could tell that Bilbo was beet red and suspected he’d be a stuttering mess if he tried to talk. He picked up Bilbo's hand and threaded their fingers together again. Bilbo let him and they sat and watched the ocean quietly for a while.

When Bilbo had rested enough, they got back up and continued their walk. They walked until they reached the main dock then turned to walk back. They stopped to rest two more times before they made it back to the recreational dock.

By the time they made it back, it was getting late (or early) and Thorin thought they should both go get some sleep so they could still see each other some during the day. "So how does getting your tail back work?" He asked curious.

Bilbo just shrugged, taking Thorin’s shirt off and handing it back before stepping out into the shallow water. After a few seconds of wading out, Bilbo fell forward into the water.

Thorin surged forward to help him but realized it was a futile effort when he got there. Bilbo was back in all his sea-person glory and wasn’t going to be standing up again.

“Go get some sleep. I’ll see you later today, Okay?” Thorin called as Bilbo started pulling and pushing himself back out to deep water. 

Bilbo sent him a wave once he was out to a more comfortable depth. 

Thorin watched until he was sure Bilbo was long gone before walking back to the house. He was plenty tired enough to sleep this time. Content with the time he had been able to spend with Bilbo.

He let himself sleep until just after noon. When he woke up to a knock on his bedroom door, he pulled himself out of bed to answer it.

Dori was at the door with a satellite phone. “I’m very sorry, sir, but the company has been trying to get a hold of you since this morning.” He said handing over the phone. 

Thorin took it with a mumbled thank you before closing the door with a sigh. He was on vacation, he shouldn’t be having to deal with this. “Hello?”

It was Balin on the phone, apparently one of their biggest costumers was demanding to see Thorin himself. He wouldn’t settle for anyone else and had set an ultimatum. If he didn’t see Thorin within the next two days, he was pulling out his contracts. 

“I’m on vacation, Balin. Can’t you convince him to wait one more day? I’ve had this vacation planned for two months!”

“I know, sir. I have done my best to appease him and convince him to wait, but he refuses to work with anyone but you and only in person.”

“Fine! Then just let him pull out his contracts!” Thorin was more than a little frustrated. He was supposed to spend the next two nights with Bilbo.

“He’s our biggest supporting costumer. Surely his business is worth rescheduling a few vacations days?”

Thorin wanted to yell that it wasn’t worth missing even one night with Bilbo, but Balin wouldn’t understand and he couldn’t explain without revealing his secret. “All right! Fine, I’ll be in tomorrow.” He gave in with a sigh. 

He hung up the phone. He felt like throwing it and smashing it into pieces, but knew it wouldn’t fix anything. He sighed again. He was really looking foward to tonight, but now he was going to have to leave this evening to be able to be in for work tomorrow.

He got around, less cheerfully this time and headed out to the boat to see Bilbo. When he sat himself down on the deck, Bilbo hadn’t shown up yet. Since Bilbo could still be sleeping, he decided to wait a little while before starting to worry.

Sure enough, a few minutes later Bilbo popped up out of the water. “Sorry, took me a few minutes to realize I wasn’t just dreaming the sound of your boat.” He said with a yawn.

You dream about me often, do you?” Thorin asked playfully, though secretly hoping the answer was yes. It was hard to stay angry or upset when he was with Bilbo.

Bilbo looked at him but didn’t say anything. Thorin couldn’t tell what he was thinking from his face or if he was just still half asleep. 

“I hope you brought me food after keeping me up so late.” Bilbo changed the subject.

Thorin chuckled and pulled over the fruit bowl he had covered to keep fresh before handing it over.

Bilbo hummed in satisfaction as he accepted the offering. 

“I enjoyed our time last night. Thank you for spending it with me.” 

Bilbo nodded. “Me too. So what did you have in mind for tonight?”

Thorin sighed again. “Nothing. I have to leave tonight.” 

“Bilbo looked at him confused. “But, you said . . “

“I know.” Thorin cut off. “I was supposed to stay the next couple nights, but work called me in and it seems important. Believe me, I’m not happy about it.”

“Oh.” The disappointment was clear in his voice and Thorin felt terrible for putting it there.

“I’m so sorry. I promise I’ll be back for the next full moon. I want to spend more time with you, and not just when the moon is up. Maybe we can go for another swim next time.” Thorin suggested trying to cheer the sea-man up.

Bilbo nodded, slightly encouraged by the promise. 

Thorin stayed with Bilbo till the very last minute, before he had to quickly head out with promises to be back in a month. It was getting harder and harder to tear himself away.


	15. Dancing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I want to let my readers know that there will be no chapters posted for the month of July. We are getting ready to make a really big move (from west coast almost to east coast), so I am going to be really busy getting ready, not to mention the week it is gonna take us to get there.
> 
> I am NOT dropping my stories. I just don't need the added pressure of getting chapters done and posted on time while all this is going on. So, I'm just going to take the month of July off from weekly posts. Our plan is to be moved and resettled by the end of July, so, if everything goes according to plan, weekly chapter posts will continue in August. 
> 
> I will still be writing during whatever spare time I get and I will still be active on the site as much as I can, so feel free to ask questions. I’m sorry for making you all wait (I know. I hate waiting too.) but I hope you’ll be patient with me. 
> 
> If anything changes, I’ll let you know as soon as I can. The chapters for this week will be or have been posted.
> 
> I also just want to say I really appreciate all my readers. Your support and comments always help to encourage and inspire me as I write. I always consider your requests for my stories and try to fit them in the best I can. I hate making you wait and really hope I’ll be able to continue posting for you by the start of August.
> 
> Thank you so much for your support and patience! I’m so glad you’ve been enjoying my stories! <3 <3 :D

Bilbo was tucked tightly into one of his hiding spots. He curled in on himself, trembling and trying to calm himself. He was terrified. The one thing that he feared more than anything, had finally happened. 

He knew better and yet he still let it happen! He should have been content being alone. He shouldn’t have sought out their company. He knew he was playing with jellyfish and he did it anyway!

He tucked his head in his arms protectively and sobbed. There was nothing he could do. It was too late. The change was irreversible. His heart had made its choice and his body had developed accordingly. 

He would never be able to love any other. And, if his heart was denied, what little happiness he had found in his solitude would disappear forever. Even the thought of Thorin refusing him was painful. He sobbed at the mere possibility. 

He would never be the same again. He didn’t think he could keep going if Thorin turned him down. He had nothing else to hang on for. It would be better to swim out to open sea and be eaten by sharks than to continue on empty and alone.

But, Thorin was human, even if he accepted Bilbo, how long could it last? Thorin admitted himself that humans were fickle. How long before he grew tired of Bilbo and sought out someone new? What was a human’s lifespan? And Thorin was away so much. How would that affect Bilbo?

Bilbo knew pain was inevitably in his future. Thorin was human and Bilbo was a sea-person. They could never be truly together, even if they wanted it. They couldn’t even live in the same element! Thorin’s absence would hurt, but Bilbo would never ask him to leave everything behind for him.

He struggled with himself, debating if he should tell Thorin or not. If he didn’t say anything, Thorin couldn’t refuse but neither could he accept. But Bilbo’s world would begin to fade, he had already noticed a change. The coral reefs weren’t as colorful as they used to be. 

Bilbo would suffer regardless, the only question is would Thorin’s answer make it better or worse. Bilbo hugged himself as he tucked himself in even tighter. Even his appetite had started to wane. He wasn’t sure what he should do. But the full moon wasn’t for another week. He had time to decide. 

_~Thorin~_

Thorin was counting down every day till the next full moon. He had been furious having to return to work during his time off. Thranduil Greenleaf may have been their best costumer, but he was also Thorin’s least favorite costumer. 

He was always making annoying and difficult demands just because he knew he would be catered to. Thorin had always hated having to deal with him. And having to do so when he should have been spending time with Bilbo really soured his mood.

But he did it. He had to grit his teeth and hold his tongue, but he did it. He took care of the fancy-pants’s demands and got him out of his hair. Now he just had to wait for the next full moon. 

Balin had wanted to reschedule his vacation for earlier, but Thorin declined with the excuse that he should get some work done while he was there. He had Balin reschedule his vacation for the next full moon and did his best to wait out the days without pining too much.

But it was getting hard. Every morning Thorin woke up wishing he was on his boat with Bilbo swimming around the cove waiting for him. And every night he wished he was returning to the island to see Bilbo the next morning.

He wasn’t sure how much longer he could handle it. He needed to act. He wanted Bilbo, more than he had ever wanted anything in his life. He wanted to know he was the reason Bilbo grinned so cheerfully everytime he greeted him. He wanted to be the one to show Bilbo what it was like to have a family and friends and to just be loved and cared about.

He wanted Bilbo to want him back. Bilbo hadn’t rejected his small advances last time he was there, but Thorin as still afraid of scaring off the sea-man by seeming fickle or shallow. He needed to find a way to show Bilbo he was serious and he only had a week to figure something out.

_~One Week Later~_

Finally, his wait was over. He was packing up and heading out, determined not to be called back early this time. In fact, when he arrived on the island he made sure to inform Dori that he was to remain unreachable for anything short of a family emergency.

As a precaution, he decided he’d sleep out on the boat. That way, Dori could technically say that’s Thorin wasn’t on the island and was unreachable. After giving Dori strict instructions of how to deal with any work related calls, he loaded up his motor boat and headed out to the cove.

After tying up his boat, he followed his usual routine. He dropped his stuff off at his room before preparing a fruit bowl and heading down to the deck. He sat down on the edge, concern already rising up in his mind. 

There was still no sign of Bilbo. Normally Bilbo was popping out of the water before Thorin could even get his boat tied when he first arrived. Or he would at least be waiting for Thorin by the deck. 

Thorin was already running scenarios in his mind that would cause Bilbo to be late. Where there sharks in the cove? Was he resting somewhere? Was he hurt or scared? Could he have decided that he didn’t want to see Thorin any more? 

Just as a Thorin was about to get up and go check the cove from the viewing room, he caught the glint of metallic colored scales out of the corner of his eye. He breathed a sigh of relief as Bilbo slowly swam over and surfaced near Thorin’s legs. 

“Hi.” Bilbo greeted him with a smile, though lacking his usual cheer. 

“Hey.” Thorin return the smile, though his concern was coming back. Bilbo looked tired, and his golden skin looked a little paler than usual. “I was starting to worry. I though maybe there were sharks in the cove. You usually beat me here to the deck.” Thorin fished.

“Sorry.” Bilbo shook his head. “No sharks, just not moving as fast as usuall.” He said as he rested his cheek on his hands on the edge of the deck.

Well, better than sharks, but still concerning. “Are you not feeling well?” Thorin asked as he stroked Bilbo’s wet curls.

Bilbo let out a deep sigh at the contact and seemed to relax. “Maybe a little bit.” He finally confessed as Thorin continued to caress his curls.

“Is there anything I can do?” Thorin knew there wasn’t much he could do for a sick sea-man, but he would do whatever he could.

Bilbo sighed again. “You’re doing it.”

Thorin smiled a crooked grin and continued petting Bilbo’s curls. They sat for a while as the sun started to go down. “We don’t have to do anything tonight if you’re not up for it.” He finally said. 

“No walking.” Bilbo hummed.

“Alright.” Thorin nodded. There were still things they could do together without doing a lot of walking. “How about stargazing? We can rest on the beach at look at the stars.”

That got Bilbo’s attention. “That sounds nice.”

“Would you like me to leave so you can rest until then?” Thorin offered.

“No!” Bilbo jolted up in protest, startling Thorin. “No. Stay? Please?” He all but pleaded, placing a hand on Thorin’s knee as if to hold him there.

Thorin was taken aback by the reaction. “Of course.” He assured. “I’ll stay.” 

Bilbo sighed in relief, laying his head down right next to Thorin’s leg. He wrapped his arm around Thorin’s knee, keeping a hold on him and he rested beside him. 

Thorin resumed petting his curls. Curious, concerned, and flattered all at once by Bilbo’s reaction. Whatever was wrong, he hoped it wasn’t serious. Bilbo had never been this clingy before. In fact, he usually kept a careful distance, though it had been gradually shrinking. 

They stayed there as the sun went down and the light faded. Finally, Thorin coaxed Bilbo into letting go so they could transfer to the beach. He docked his boat and followed Bilbo ashore.

Thorin sat next to Bilbo as they waited for his change. He took his shirt off in preparation and got caught up in watching the sea as he waited. He looked down when he felt something nudging his hand.

Bilbo had slowly reached out his hand and was shyly requesting Thorin’s hand, refusing to make eye contact. Thorin was more than happy to oblige and wrapped his hand around Bilbo’s webbed fingers.

Thorin gently stroked the back of Bilbo’s hand with his thumb as they waited for the change. Several minutes later, Bilbo had his legs again. Thorin wrapped him up in his shirt before coaxing him to a nicer part of the beach.

He was still a little wobbly, but Bilbo adjusted much faster this time and Thorin made sure to keep a hold of him. 

Thorin only took him as far as necessary and they were soon settling down on the sand to stargaze. They talked a little bit, pointing out constellations, comparing them to how Bilbo had learned them.

“Are you tired? Should we stop for tonight?” Thorin asked when he noticed that’s Bilbo’s answers were becoming shorter and less energetic.

Bilbo forced himself to perk up. “No, we just started.” He had been clinging to Thorin’s hand the whole time. 

Thorin studied him in the moonlight. He did look exhausted. Thorin shouldn’t have insisted to see him tonight, but it didn’t seem like Bilbo was going to let him go just yet either.

He gently pried his hand from Bilbo’s, instantly regretting the stricken look that flashed over Bilbo’s face. But instead of returning to Bilbo’s hand, he wrapped his arm around Bilbo and gripped his waist.

Bilbo startled at the contact but went obediently when Thorin pulled him close and laid them both back into the sand. He froze as Thorin laid them down so Bilbo’s head rested on Thorin’s shoulder. 

Thorin just propped his head on his other hand and kept Bilbo held close as he resumed his stargazing in silence. When nothing else happened, Bilbo began to relax. 

Thorin smirked victoriously when he heard a soft snoring only minutes after having laid them down. Win-win. Bilbo got some much needed rest and Thorin stil got to keep him close (very close).

Thorin gazed at the stars for a while but was soon starting to feel himself drifting off as well. He dug his cell phone out of his pocket, carefully so as to not wake up Bilbo. It wasn’t satellite, so he kept it more for the apps than anything while on the island. 

He set an alarm to go off after several hours, just in case he didn’t wake up before the sun started to come up. He couldn’t risk not having Bilbo back to his sea-man form before sunrise. 

He rechecked it several times to be sure it was set before setting it down next to his head in the sand and letting himself drift off. It seemed like he had just closed his eyes when the alarm went off by his ear, jolting him awake. 

Bilbo startled with Thorin at the unfamiliar noise, looking around sleepy and disoriented. 

“Sorry.” Thorin apologized gravelly. “Didn't want to sleep too long and miss the sunrise.”

Bilbo shot up in a panic, still too disoriented to realize the sun was still down.

Thorin grabbed him before he could get far (and probably fall flat on his face in his current state) and pulled him back down to sitting, rumbling reassurances. 

“The . . the sun .” Bilbo protested groggily.

“Is not up yet and won’t be for a little while. It’s alright.”

Bilbo finally seemed to register the situation and relaxed in Thorin’s grip.

Thorin studied him, looking for any indication that he might try to run again. He still looked tired but his curls had dried into such an adorable riotous mess that Thorin couldn’t quite contain his grin at the sight. 

Bilbo was still lost in a daze, so Thorin pulled him closer so he could lean into Thorin for support. He needed to get Bilbo back to the cove, but wasn’t sure if it was a good idea to expect Bilbo to swim all the way back on his own in his current state.

After a few minutes of weighing his options, he pocketed his phone as he got up to one knee. Bilbo watched him in a curious daze, still not quite fully awake. He didn’t even protest when Thorin tucked one arm under his knees and the other behind his back. 

But when Thorin lifted him off the ground, he yelped and clung tightly to Thorin. Thorin shushed him as he tucked him close and started to walk back to the rec dock. 

Bilbo was much more awake by the time they reach Thorin’s motorboat. “What . .?”

“I’m gonna give you a ride back to the cove so you don’t have to swim so far.” Thorin explained as he settled him into one of the seats. Not getting any resistance, Thorin untied the boat and pushed off heading for the cove.

He drove slowly, knowing that this was Bilbo’s first time riding a motorboat. Once they got to the cove, Thorin stopped the boat as close as he could to where he remembered one of Bilbo’s sleeping areas was.

Bilbo was fully aware now, though still looked very tired. Thorin helped him take his shirt off before helping to gently lower him into the water over the side of the boat. Only seconds after touching the water, Bilbo’s legs sprouted into a tail and fins. Thorin dropped him in confident that Bilbo would be fine.

Bilbo resurfaced almost immediately. “Will I see you later?” He asked almost desperately.

“Of course. I’m staying on the boat tonight. I’ll see you as soon as we’re both up.” He reassured. 

Bilbo nodded but still looked hesitant to leave. 

“Go on. I’ll see you soon.” Thorin ordered.

Bilbo nodded once more before sinking under the water.

Thorin docked up to his boat and took a quick shower to get the sand off before crawling into bed for a few more hours of sleep. He woke up in the late morning and got himself around. He didn’t hurry since he figured that Bilbo would still be sleeping.

He made a fresh fruit bowl and piled it extra high. Bilbo hadn’t even touched the one he made yesterday. That alone was enough to tell Thorin that something was wrong. Maybe today he would feel good enough to eat something. He did seem a little thinner than usual when’s Thorin was holding him yesterday.

He sat down on the edge of the deck, expecting to be waiting for a while. Which is why he was startled when Bilbo popped up like he had been waiting for him. “Bilbo! I thought that you would be sleeping.”

Bilbo didn’t answer. He looked just as exhausted as last night if not more. He set his hand on Thorin’s knee and gave Thorin a shy pleading look.

Thorin was surprised by the foward gesture but welcomed him. He nodded and gestured Bilbo into his lap. 

Instead of pushing himself out of the water, Bilbo simply draped his arms over Thorin’s knees and laid his head against Thorin’s thigh with a tired sigh. Within minutes, his body went lax. 

Thorin grabbed him as he started to slip off back into the water and pulled him closer as gently as he could. He wrapped Bilbo’s arms around him and set his head against Thorin’s hip, tucking his legs around him to hold him up. 

Bilbo didn’t even stir through all of Thorin’s rearranging. Thorin was starting to get very concerned. He’d never seen Bilbo so weak and vulnerable. Was he simply not sleeping or was he seriously ill? 

Thorin was determined to get an answer out of him tonight. He needed to know. He wouldn’t be able to leave not knowing. He needed to know if Bilbo was going to make it until he came back.

But, for now, he would let Bilbo get some much needed sleep. He caresses Bilbo’s curls as he snored softly into his lap. He sat there for hours watching the sea and the cove and petting Bilbo’s now dry curls.

He sat until he ached. His butt hurt from sitting on the deck and his leg went numb from the weight of Bilbo’s head. But he refused to move. If this was what Bilbo needed, he would do this for him.

The sun was well on it's way to setting when Bilbo finally started to stir. Bilbo picked his head up and rubbed his eyes, looking around groggy and disoriented. He tried to say something but, what came out was so dry and gravelly, Thorin couldn't interpret it. 

Bilbo coughed dryly before dipping his face into the water and taking several large gulps of water which he pushed through his gills. "Sorry." He said still pretty rough sounding. "You should have woke me. Your leg must be sore." 

Well, Thorin's leg _was_ all pins and needles now, but it was worth it to see Bilbo get some rest. "It's fine." He assured. "Are you hungry?" He asked pulling over the covered fruit bowl he had prepared. He was hoping to finally get Bilbo to eat something. 

Bilbo took the bowl, but only picked at it. Thorin watched as the sun sank below the waters, growing more and more concerned. When it looked like Bilbo wasn’t going to eat anything more, Thorin decided to try to get some answers. 

“What’s wrong, Bilbo? Are you sick? Are you hurt?” Thorin pried.

“I’m fine.” Bilbo gave a small shrug.

“Bilbo.” Thorin pulled the bowl a fruit away and cupped Bilbo’s jaw, gently guiding Bilbo to look at him. “I can tell something is wrong. I’m worried. I want to know, even if you don’t think it’s important. Please.” He nearly pleaded, gently stroking Bilbo’s cheek with his thumb.

Bilbo looked at him and chewed his lip, but still didn’t provide any answers. He looked terribly uncertain and fragile. He tore his gaze away and resumed studying the deck. 

Just when Thorin was going to try again, he spoke. “Would you . . like to swim with me?”

Thorin was thrown off a bit by the subject change. “Of course, but I think we should wait until your feeling better. Maybe tomorrow, if you’re feeling up to it.” 

“No. Tonight. It has to be tonight. Please?” It was Bilbo’s turn to plead. 

Thorin was baffled by the request, but couldn’t refuse it, not when it seemed so important. He agree and went to get his diving gear around. As he suited up, his stomach dropped as he considered the request. 

Why did it have to be tonight? Would they not get to do it some other time? Was Bilbo running out of time? Was he dying? The more Thorin thought about it the more his stomach turned into knots. 

He wanted to push for answers but Bilbo seemed determined not to give any until he was ready. He finished putting on his gear on the deck as Bilbo waited for him and slipped into the water.

After Thorin had adjusted to the water, Bilbo swam up to him and gently took his forearms in his hands. “Can . . can I lead you?” He asked shyly in that angelic voice that Thorin had missed.

Thorin nodded, willing to follow him anywhere. He clasped Bilbo’s forearms to reinforce their hold and let himself be pulled into the cove. 

If Bilbo had a destination, he didn’t mention it. He pulled Thorin around quietly for a few minutes. He was gentle and went slow enough not to put any strain on Thorin’s arms. Unlike before, he kept Thorin in front of and facing him, doing his best to keep Thorin even with him.

Suddenly, Thorin was surrounded in the heavenly sound that was Bilbo’s voice. He stared at Bilbo in surprise, trying to understand what was happening. Bilbo was singing! It didn’t sound English and Thorin couldn’t make out any of the words, but he was definitely singing. 

As Bilbo continued to sing, their swimming pattern also changed. Bilbo pulled him through the cove slowly doing twirls, dips and lazy loops. Sometimes they would weave through coral reefs or skim over the top of one. Bilbo continued to sing through it all.

Thorin was transfixed. The sound alone was enough to capture him, but this . . it was like a dance, like they were dancing under the ocean!

Thorin wasn’t sure how long it lasted. It felt like an eternity and a moment at the same time. But, eventually, Bilbo stopped singing and their swimming pattern became straight and normal again.

A few minutes later, Bilbo was delivering Thorin back to the deck. Thorin reluctantly pulled himself out of the water. He didn’t want to get out just yet, but he desperately wanted some answers. 

“I have to go. I’ll see you later. Thank you for swimming with me.” Bilbo said before Thorin got the chance to ask any questions. He sunk under the waves before Thorin could even reply.

“Wait! Bilbo!” Thorin pleaded for him to come back but the sea-man didn’t resurface. Thorin's heart was gripped with fear. He only hoped Bilbo was being honest when he said he would seem him later.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry! I know it's a terrible spot to leave you hanging for a month, but I couldn't help it! It just worked out this way! . . . Please don't hurt me. T_T


	16. Engagement

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have good news and bad news. 
> 
> Bad news first. Things have not gone as planned. We are just now getting ready to move and will be leaving on the 30th. We thought we had a house at the beginning of the month, but it fell through and we had to start over. So, I will be taking the month of August off as well so we can get moved and settled. I know! I am so sorry!
> 
> The good news is I am posting the next chapter for each of my current works AND a BONUS first chapter of a new future work I plan to write. It is the whole first chapter, not just a summary. I will add the summary for it below. You will find it in “Future Works.” It is chapter 4 and is titled “Bride of the Demon King.” My ideas seem to be coming to me in the form of whole first chapters lately, so I have to write them so I don’t forget. Anyway, if you’re interested, check it out and let me know what you think. 
> 
> P.S. I am also working on writing out the first chapters for the other works in "Future Works" that are just summaries.
> 
> Oh, yeah. Smut warning for this chapter of Sea Calls to Me. ;)
> 
>  
> 
> {Bride of the Demon King -- Bilbo/Thorin}  
> Thorin is King of the demons, a beast-like race feared by humans. Ever since the demons and humans formed a truce years ago, the humans have sent a young human every year as a tribute to the King of demons. Thorin is tired of having to deal with the tribute that has long since lost its meaning. The only tribute he'd be interested in is the boy he met fifteen years ago on the border of the demon and human realms. Despite his fantasies, Thorin knows the chances of ever seeing the boy again are slim to none, until they're not.

Thorin stared into the water with his heart in his throat desperately hoping this wouldn't be the last he saw of the sea-man. When it became obvious that Bilbo wasn't returning, he tore himself away from the water and headed back to the cabin. 

He quickly made his way down to the viewing room hoping to find some clue as to Bilbo's strange behavior. He couldn't see much of anything though, despite the light of the full moon, it was just too dark under the water for him to make out much.

He stood there staring out into the darkness trying to decide what and if there was anything that he could do. He couldn’t really think of anything, but he couldn’t just give up either. There was no way he was going to get any sleep tonight.

He went back up to the cabin and forced himself to take a shower to wash off the sea water. Instead of going to bed, he went out to the deck and grabbed a lounge chair and hauled it down to the viewing room.

If he was going to be up all night, he might as well stay where he will be able to see what’s going on as soon as the sun starts coming up. He got as comfortable as he could get considering his current anxious state.

He spent the rest of the night peering out into the darkness brooding and running scenario after scenario through his head to explain Bilbo’s strange behavior, each more worrisome than the one before.

He didn’t get a single wink of sleep that night and was so lost in his own frightful imaginings that he didn’t even notice when the sun started coming up. He did notice, though, when he spied the familiar glint of metal. 

He jolted up in his chair causing the sea-man to twist in his direction. They met eyes over the distance. When Thorin was sure Bilbo was heading in his direction, he headed back up to meet him at the deck.

Thorin sat at the edge of the deck and waited for Bilbo to arrive. He could tell from the viewing room that the sea-man still wasn’t moving very fast. Within minutes, Bilbo slowly surfaced sending Thorin a sheepish look. 

Thorin was making no attempt to hide his discontent and Bilbo was giving him a wider berth than he had been recently. 

“What is going on? What was last night about? If I don’t get some answers today, so help me, I’m going to come in there after you and hound you until I do!” Thorin and Bilbo both knew the threat was pretty hollow. Even if Thorin went in the water after him, Bilbo was easily fast enough to keep away from him.

Bilbo scratched at the deck with a finger looking torn and broken.

“Please, Bilbo! I want to know because I care about you. Not knowing is killing me!” He pleaded. He may have been slightly exaggerating, but, if it got him the answers he needed, he was okay with the added drama.

Bilbo looked at him alarmed and chewed his bottom lip. Just as it looked like he was coming to a decision, he lowered his face to stare at the deck again.

Thorin cursed inside his head and was about to make another attempt when Bilbo finally started talking. 

“It was . . a dance.”

Thorin forced himself to calm down. If Bilbo was talking, he didn’t want to give him any reason to stop. “What kind of dance?”

Bilbo started tracing symbols onto the deck. “A c-courtship dance.” He said quietly. 

Thorin had to strain to hear, and what he heard stopped him short. “A . . what?” He asked not believing what he had heard.

“A c-courtship dance.” Bilbo answered a little louder. “It-it probably wasn’t very good. I learned it a long time ago from my mom. I did it the best I could remember.” 

Thorin was still reeling from the revelation. “Why?”

Bilbo still wouldn’t look at him. “It . . It’s what we do when we’ve chosen a mate. It means I’ve chosen you.” He finished quietly.

Thorin stared at him shocked speechless. He never expected for Bilbo to be the first to make a move, especially knowing what Bilbo would be risking by doing so.

“I-I don’t expect anything though! The dance was one sided, so it . . it only means that I’ve offered myself to you. You don’t own me anything.” Bilbo hastened to explain as he continued to stare at the deck, misinterpreting Thorin’s silence. 

Thorin snapped out of his daze upon hearing the disappointment in Bilbo’s voice. Bilbo startled when Thorin cupped his jaw, forcing Bilbo to face him. “You are . . giving yourself to me?” He asked as a crooked grin was starting to work it’s way onto his face. 

Bilbo chewed his lip anxiously but gave a small nod. 

Thorin gently stroked his cheek with his thumb. “And what happens if I accept?” He asked lowly. 

Bilbo stared at Thorin in surprise. “Th-then I’m yours.” He said when he finally recovered.

Thorin nodded his head in understanding. “I need to go get something. Will you wait here for me?” 

Bilbo looked at him concerned but nodded.

Thorin headed back into the cabin to where he had dropped his bags. He dug through them until he found a little black velvet box. He had intended on being the one to propose first, but the least he could do was to not leave the poor sea-man hanging.

He headed back to the deck and sat himself down right next to Bilbo. “I can’t sing or dance underwater. I can barely dance above water. Fortunately, I don’t have to. You proposed to me as a sea-person. We humans do things a little differently. When we have someone we want to spend our lives with, we give them something.”

Bilbo listened in confusion, trying to figure out if Thorin was accepting him or turning him down.

“We give them a ring.” He said opening the velvet box as he held it out to Bilbo.

Bilbo’s eyes grew wide and he gaped as he took in all the sparkling glimmers as the early sun shined on the many diamonds that covered the ring. It looked like a flower with a large diamond set in the center and almost every surface was covered in small glimmering diamonds.

“I accept your heart, but only if you’ll accept mine.” Thorin rumbled lowly.

Bilbo turned his gaping stare onto Thorin. “What?” He said in disbelief.

“I love you, too. I’m sorry I didn’t say it first. I wasn’t sure you were ready to hear it. I didn’t mean to put the stress on you.” Thorin explained gently.

“You . . you are . . giving yourself . . to me?” Bilbo asked as if it was too hard a thing to believe.

“I am. Forever, if you’ll have me.” Thorin rumbled.

Bilbo whimpered as his lip began to quiver and his eyes filled with large wet tears. 

Thorin immediately pulled him close and wrapped around him in near panic as Bilbo clung to him and began to sob into his shirt. Thorin gently shushed him trying to calm him down, holding him close all the while.

“Yes! Yes.” Bilbo murmured into Thorin’s chest when he had recovered enough to make intelligible words.

Thorin began whispering loving reassurances as his own tension eased out of him at Bilbo's teary answer. 

Bilbo sniffed as he finally pulled away. "C-can I see it again?"

Thorin smiled as he pulled the ring out of it's case and handed it to Bilbo. 

Bilbo held it gently in awe of its beauty. "What's this for?" He asked picking up the golden chain hanging from the ring. 

"Ah. Well, I knew you wouldn't really be able to wear it because your fingers are webbed, so I put it on a gold chain so you could wear it around your neck. May I?" 

Thorin took the ring by the chain at Bilbo's nod and gently clasped it around his neck. The chain was just long enough for Bilbo to hold the ring up to where he could see it as he continued to admire it.

"The ring is almost pure gold, which means it's not very strong, but it won't lose it's shine from you wearing it in the water. I had the diamonds coated with a protectant, but they may still lose their shine after a while. If that happens, I'll have them replaced for you." Thorin explain as Bilbo reverently examined his new ring.

Bilbo looked up at Thorin shyly. "Are you s-sure?"

Instead of answering directly, Thorin pulled Bilbo up until he draped his fins over Thorin's legs for support. Once he knew Bilbo was secure he tilted Bilbo's head back with a finger under is chin and leaned into him.

He paused just before reaching Bilbo's lips and rubbed his nose along Bilbo's, not sure if Bilbo was familiar or comfortable with kissing. He needn’t have worried since Bilbo quickly closed the gap, throwing his arms around Thorin’s neck.

Despite being eager, Bilbo was clearly inexperienced. Thorin gently guided and taught him and Bilbo soaked it all up. Thorin suspected he was going to be a fast learner. 

Thorin pulled away with a nip to Bilbo’s lip, promising more to come, but, when Bilbo followed after him, he put a stop to it. “Not yet. You still have some questions to answer.” He said as he gave Bilbo a peck on the nose.

Bilbo gave a small whine but relented anyway. “What questions?” He pouted.

Thorin gave him an unimpressed look. “Why haven’t you been feeling well?”

“Oh.” Bilbo quickly shifted from pouty to sheepish. “Well, when I realized you were my heartsong, I-I didn’t know how I should tell you, or _if_ I should tell you, or what you would say if I did. . . . I guess I haven’t been sleeping much . . or eating much.”

Thorin lifted Bilbo’s face up again so they could touch foreheads. “Heartsong?”

Bilbo shrugged. “That’s what Mom called it. ‘The one who makes your heart sing.’”

“What do you mean ‘when you realized it?’” 

Bilbo dropped his face back down. “Well, it’s . . It’s not always voluntary. I was actually trying not to choose you, but I guess my heart had other plans.”

Thorin raised a brow at that. Sea-people were fatally bound to their partners and they didn’t even always get a choice in the matter? That hardly seemed fair. “And the dance. Why did it have to be last night?”

“It has to be done under the full moon to be binding. I-I thought I might lose my nerve if I waited until tonight.” 

“And why did you run off on me and make me worry?”

Bilbo squirmed at Thorin’s disapproving tone. “I wasn’t ready to explain it?” He meekly offered as explanation.

Thorin studied him, looking for any signs that he might be leaving something out. “Are you sure you were just tired?”

Bilbo nodded. “Well, and lonely maybe. I missed you.”

Thorin gave up his investigation with a sigh and gently banged foreheads with the sea-man. “I was very worried about you. I want you to always tell me immediately when something is wrong, okay?”

Bilbo gave a short nod, but wouldn’t meet Thorin’s eyes.

Thorin grabbed Bilbo’s chin and pulled him close until he had to look at him. “Okay?” 

“Yes! Yes, I said yes.” Bilbo defended against Thorin’s threatening tone.

“When you won’t look at me it tells me you’re lying.” He raised a brow in challenge.

Bilbo turned away and pouted at him with a side glance.

Thorin tried to keep a stern face, but finally caved with a chuckle. Bilbo was just too cute. “Fine, at least tell me when it’s serious. Can you at least promise me that?” He pulled Bilbo close and nuzzled him. “I would be heartbroken if I lost you.” He confessed softly.

Bilbo stopped pouting and nuzzled back. “I promise.” He nodded gently.

They continued nuzzling and lazily kissing, but, now that Thorin’s fears were eased, his staying up all night was coming back to haunt him. He gently bonked heads with Bilbo. “I’m sure we’re both exhausted. Why don’t you climb up here and we’ll take a nap?” 

Bilbo’s eyes lit up at the suggestion and he nodded eagerly.

“Alright, you go ahead and climb up, I’m gonna go grab some things. I’ll be right back.” He went back to the cabin and grabbed some pillows, some water, and made up a small bowl of fruit. He had a feeling that Bilbo would feel like eating again. On his way back, he grabbed some cushions off some of the lounge chairs.

Bilbo was already spread out on the deck by the time he got back. He handed over the fruit before he started laying out their cushions and pillows. By the time he was done, so was Bilbo. He must have inhaled the fruit. “I’ll get you more when we wake up.” He promised as he settled in, pulling Bilbo along with him.

Bilbo could only lay comfortably on the deck on his stomach, so Thorin helped him onto the cushions before laying down facing him and throwing his arm around Bilbo’s waist. It wasn’t long before they had both dozed off.

When they woke up later, it was to both their growling stomachs. It was well past lunch time. Thorin headed back into the cabin to make them both something to eat while Bilbo pulled himself over the the edge of the deck to wet his throat and gills.

Thorin came back with a large tray piled with food to be greeted by the sight of Bilbo’s upper half hanging off the deck into the water. Bilbo’s fins were still languidly shifting, so Thorin could tell Bilbo was fine. He smirked at the thought that, if it was anyone else, he would be alarmed at the sight.

Bilbo popped back out of the water as Thorin landed on the deck. “I’m gonna get back in the water to eat. My scales are too dry anyway.” Bilbo informed him. When Thorin just nodded, Bilbo slipped back into the water.

He popped back up as Thorin was laying out their food near the edge of the deck. He had made an extra big bowl of fruit for Bilbo who happily grabbed it up. They chatted as they ate, working to iron out the exact nature of their current relationship based on human and sea-person customs. 

Finally they concluded that they were more or less in the engagement phase and wouldn’t be officially mated until they were able to consummate their union. 

“We could just do it tonight.” Bilbo proposed.

“Not tonight. I have to leave first thing in the morning. It can wait until the next full moon. Then we can take our time.” Thorin argued.

Bilbo pouted, But didn’t argue.

Thorin nudged him. “Come on. I know you’re still exhausted. You’ll be too tired to really enjoy it anyway. You’ll just have to make sure you’re good and rested by the next full moon, cause I won’t be letting you get much sleep.” He promised with a playful smirk and wink.

Bilbo blushed, but gave a small shy smile. “Can I stay with you tonight, though?”

“Of course. Sleeping on the deck isn’t so bad. Though the beach might be nicer.” 

“I feel safer here . . but if you prefer the beach that’s fine too!” 

“Then we’ll stay here.” Thorin assured. 

They chatted for a while longer after finishing their meal until Bilbo decided he needed to stretch some before settling down for the night. He managed to convince Thorin to join him and they swam around on the surface with Bilbo easily keeping them both afloat.

Their swim soon devolved into cuddling though and they ended up doing little more than floating around in each other’s arms. 

They eventually pulled out of the water and Thorin decided to make them a late dinner before they settled for the night. They sat and ate together and the sun worked it’s way down toward the ocean behind them. 

Once they were done, Thorin spruced up their sleeping area, retrieving a few more cushions. “Are you going to be okay sleeping up here on the deck all night? It can’t be good for you to sleep out of the water all the time.”

“I’ll be fine. Unless you think you can do better sleeping under water.” Bilbo challenged.

“Good point.” Thorin conceded with a smirk. Obviously, sleeping separated wasn’t an acceptable arrangement.

They settled in just as the sun was going down, making themselves comfortable on their make-shift bed.

Bilbo was out before the sun was even fully down, but Thorin lay next to him awake reveling in the fact that Bilbo had chosen him despite the risks. But eventually, he too drifted off.

He awoke later to Bilbo shifting beside him. Thorin drowsily wrapped an arm around him as Bilbo seemed to be trying to climb on top of him. Thorin must have rolled onto his back at some point since Bilbo threw a leg over one of Thorin’s as he draped an arm over his stomach. 

When Bilbo stilled, Thorin started to drift back off, sleepily rubbing circles into the soft bare skin of Bilbo’s hip. Thorin jolted awake. Skin? Legs? He pushed himself up a bit to get a better look.

Sure enough, Bilbo was lacking one fish tail and all fins associated with it and was currently sporting his very human set of legs. Thorin stared, groggily trying to figure out how that had happened. Bilbo said he needed to be on land for it to work.

Bilbo tightened his grip around Thorin and mumbled something incomprehensible. Thorin looked down at him, his drowsiness rapidly disappearing at the sight of a very naked human Bilbo wrapped around him.

Thorin deliberated with himself before finally giving in. They’d both sleep better after a release anyway. He scooted down so he could reach Bilbo better and gently rolled them both over as he sucked lazy kissed into Bilbo’s jaw and neck.

“Mmm. Wha?” Bilbo began to stir from the rearranging and assault on his neck.

“You have legs.” Thorin rumbled against Bilbo’s collarbone as he worked his way down. 

“Huh?” Bilbo groggily lifted a leg to where he could see it. “Huh.”

“Why? I thought you had to be on land?” Thorin asked between kisses.

“I don’ know. Maybe I just have to be dry.” Bilbo speculated. “Ah!” He jolted wide awake as Thorin made it to a nipple and began massaging it with his tongue between gentle nips. “Thorin! I thought you said to wait until next time?!”

“I didn’t say we couldn’t do anything.” Thorin defended as he moved up to properly kiss his now wide awake partner.

Bilbo arched beneath him with a yelp as Thorin took his rapidly filling length in hand and started stroking him.

Since Bilbo was now to distracted to keep kissing, Thorin moved back to his neck. Bilbo laid his head back and moaned appreciatively as Thorin worked him up.

When he finally had Bilbo nice and hard, he fished his own throbbing length out of his shorts and wrapped his hand around them both before starting with slow strokes. “Is this okay?” Thorin rumbled gravelly into Bilbo’s ear.

“Yes! Yes!” Bilbo nearly yelled as he clung to Thorin, wrapping his legs around him as he started stroking them harder.

Bilbo was panting and chanting a string of ‘yes’s’ and clung to Thorin even harder as Thorin worked them both. Thorin rested their foreheads together as they both rapidly reached their peaks. 

Thorin grunted as Bilbo arched beneath him with a cry when they both found their release, spilling all over Bilbo’s stomach. Thorin rested against him waiting to catch his breath. Bilbo had already gone completely limp beneath him.

Thorin gave him a lazy kiss before getting up and wiping them clean with his shirt, tossing it aside when he was done. He tucked his arms under his boneless partner and picked him up. 

“What?” 

“If you’re human, there’s no reason to stay out here on the deck. Let’s go sleep in a real bed.” Thorin explained as he set Bilbo up on the main deck.

Thorin carried Bilbo to his room and they got resettled for the night. Bilbo was out in no time, but Thorin made sure to set his alarm before falling back to sleep.

They awoke to the alarm some time before sunrise and Thorin made sure he got Bilbo back into the water. They said goodbyes with sweet kisses and many promises to see each other on the next full moon.

Thorin was sure the next month wasn’t going to go by fast enough.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Bilbo's Ring](http://bloomingbeautyring.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/Engraved-bbr-double-yellow-gold.jpg)


	17. Consummation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m back! . . Mostly. We are finally moved, but I am still trying to get the house all put together. BUT I will be resuming weekly posts for each story . . . For now. I was able to get ahead in a couple of my stories, but I am a little behind in HoD. So, I’m going to do my best to catch up and keep up with my weekly posts. If I can’t keep up I may have to switch to posting every other week, but I will let you know before it happens.
> 
> BONUS CHAPTER!!!  
> I’m posting another first chapter for a new work. This one is called ‘Wolf and Rabbit’ and you can find it in ‘Future Works.’ Read the summary below. Check it out if you like and let me know what you think. :)
> 
> Wolf and Rabbit:  
> Bilbo was content with his life as a surgeon. True, the hours were crazy and he didn't have much of social life, but the pay was good and he got to help a lot of people. Then one day he just had to go and help a wounded gangster he found in an alley. Now that same gangster is hanging around the hospital where Bilbo works looking for his saving angel 'Bella.' As much as he wants to clear up the misunderstanding, he's afraid of what the big grumpy gangster will do to him when he finds out his 'angel' is a guy. How is this his life?!
> 
> Bilbo/Thorin  
> Straight Thorin, Straight Bilbo
> 
> SMUT ALERT!!!  
> I’ve had to wait 16 chapters to finally add some smut, so now I’m self-gratifying (seriously, I was driving myself crazy). Expect a lot of smut from here on out.
> 
> Also, we’ll be reaching the end of this work soon, but I just wanted you to know that it won’t be the end of the story. I have the next part already planned. I’m just breaking it into parts to accommodate plot shifts.

Thorin was right. The month was definitely not going by fast enough. He didn’t even make it through the first week before he was pining and wishing to be back at the island. There was so much more waiting for him this time. He wasn’t just going to relax or meet a friend, now he was returning to the arms of his lover and that just made it so much harder to wait.

He threw himself into his work to distract himself and make the time go by faster. He was seriously considering taking a full week off this time. If he got enough work done and got ahead, it shouldn’t be a problem. He didn’t think a mere two or three days was going to be enough anymore.

So he worked; he worked like a man possessed. Balin was even starting to worry about him, sending him subtle hints about taking a break or getting more sleep. When he finally told Balin he wanted to extend his vacation and take a week off every month, Balin connected the dots and stopped hounding him.

Balin didn’t seem to have a problem with Thorin taking a week off every month, though he did require Thorin to keep a satellite phone on hand for emergencies. Thorin figured it was a fair price to pay to get a week off every month and a small price to pay to spend that time with Bilbo.

Finally his wait was over. He was worn out and exhausted, but he had two days and a night to recover before Bilbo would have his legs. And he _would_ recover because he had no intention of getting any sleep their first night together. The little bit they did before he left last time was just enough to leave him desperate for more and he’s had to put it off for almost a whole month. He suspected he wouldn’t be getting much sleep on any full moon night, but it would be so worth it. 

He slept through his jet ride and headed straight to the cove, without bothering to stop at the island. As he was tying up his boat, Bilbo jumped out of the water, nearly landing in the boat. “Thorin!”

Thorin was too eager to sea his sea-man lover to reprimand him for jumping out like that again. “Hey! Did you miss me?”

”Yes!” Bilbo pushed up out of the water wrapping his arms around Thorin’s neck and nearly dragging him in.

Thorin braced himself with a laugh as he held his heavy lover out of the water. “I’ll see you at the deck.” He said after a few quick but passionate kisses.

Bilbo smiled and let go to drop back into the water. Thorin hurried to drop off his stuff and make Bilbo a fruit bowl before rushing down to the deck. Bilbo immediately popped out of the water and propped himself up on his fins.

“I thought that wasn’t comfortable.” Thorin sat down and set the bowl near by.

“It’s not, but you were taking too long.” Bilbo tried to shuffle over to Thorin who grabbed his fins and pulled him over to his lap.

“Do you want some fruit?” Thorin asked as Bilbo wrapped around him with both arms and fins. 

“I want you first.” Bilbo nuzzled his chuckling partner. “I missed you.” 

“I missed you too. Mahal, I missed you!” Thorin ran his fingers through Bilbo’s still wet hair guiding his head to just the right angle for a passionate deep kiss. 

Bilbo was indeed a fast learner and very eager; it wasn’t long before Bilbo’s tongue was fighting for dominance. Thorin let him take the lead for a while, letting him explore and experiment. Bilbo squeaked and quickly lost the focus to remain in control when Thorin reached behind him, gently pinching his fin between his fingers and stroking it down his tail . 

“Ah! Stop, stop!” Bilbo yelped and pulled out of the kiss as Thorin continued to stroke his fin.

Thorin had no intention of letting Bilbo get away. He pulled him back in and started sucking kisses into his neck, still stroking Bilbo’s dorsal fin. “Why? You’re mine remember.” He rumbled into near Bilbo’s sensitive ear.

Bilbo trembled and bit his lip to cut off his moan as he dropped his arms and seemed to be pushing on his tail just below his stomach. “Yes, but . .”

Thorin stopped, concerned about the reaction. “Are you all right?” 

Bilbo just nodded with his lip firmly between his teeth.

“Let me see.” Thorin grabbed Bilbo’s wrists and gently pried them away.

“Ah! Wait!” Bilbo resisted, but was no match for Thorin’s strength.

As soon as Thorin had pried Bilbo’s hands away the spot that Bilbo was covering seemed to start protruding. Thorin watched fascinated as it continued to grow until it was standing tall and proud. Guess sea-people’s organs weren’t entirely internal.

When Thorin looked back up, Bilbo was flushed a deep red. Thorin chuckled and pulled him back into a kiss, though Bilbo was still a bit resistant. “No need to be embarrassed. I’m glad I turn you on.” He rumbled next to Bilbo’s ear again just to feel him tremble. “Besides, it’s not like we haven’t done anything before.”

Bilbo looked at him uncertainly. “You-you mean the night before you left last time?”

“Yes?” Thorin was confused by Bilbo’s uncertainty.

Bilbo’s look turned slightly sheepish. “I-I wasn’t sure I hadn’t just dreamt it.”

Thorin raised a brow. Well, Bilbo had been pretty out of it. No wonder he wasn’t showing any inhibitions. “I assure you it happened.” Thorin rumbled as he leaned into Bilbo’s ear.

“O-oh!” Biblo’s blushed brightened as he shivered.

“May I?” Thorin rumbled again reaching for Bilbo’s proudly erect member.

Bilbo gasped through his teeth but nodded as Thorin wrapped his hand around his cock.

Thorin began gently stroking him, enjoying all Bilbo’s little reactions as his other hand fiddled with Bilbo’s dorsal fin from behind. It was different, but not all that different. It was a bit longer with a thick base where it protruded from his tail and it curved to stand more upright and was a bit more pointed at the tip, but otherwise it wasn’t all that different from a human’s cock.

Bilbo bit his lip, trying to strangle his moans as he rested his head against Thorin’s shoulder. He wrapped his arms around Thorin, gripping the back of his shirt tightly. Thorin run his fingers down either side of the base of Bilbo’s dorsal fin, noticing how it stiffened with Bilbo’s arousal.

Thorin started stroking Bilbo harder and faster and Bilbo was soon trying to thrust into his hand, though his tail made the movement awkward. Thorin was thoroughly enjoying dragging out Bilbo’s pleasure, slowing down whenever he got to close, but, when Bilbo whimpered a desperate ‘please, Thorin,’ he relented. 

He pumped Bilbo to completion who muffled his cries into Thorin’s shirt as he clung to him desperately.

A few minutes later, Bilbo was a boneless heap in Thorin’s arms. Thorin chuckled as he nuzzled Bilbo’s mostly dry hair. It was a pleasant surprise to find out they would be able to do some things even without the full moon.

When Bilbo started to recover, he began pulling at Thorin’s shorts. “You too?”

“You don’t have to.” It was true. Thorin was now very hard with need himself, but he knew Bilbo was still inexperienced. He didn’t want him to think he was obligated.

Bilbo continued to persistently tug on Thorin’s shorts, seemingly trying to figure out how to get Thorin out of them. 

Thorin huffed in amusement. If Bilbo was determined, he certainly wasn’t going to refuse him. He pulled himself out of his shorts, offering himself to Bilbo’s curious fingers. Bilbo dipped his hand in the water to wet it and Thorin grunted as Bilbo took him in hand. 

Thorin watched from under heavy lids as Bilbo experimentally stroked him. Thorin couldn’t suppress the shiver that ran through him as Bilbo rubbed his thumb around the tip of Thorin’s head and under its ridge as he took his time exploring. Bilbo continued to languidly explore as Thorin pulled him into another deep kiss. 

When Thorin couldn’t take the slow pace anymore, he pulled away to protest, but, before he could get a word out, Bilbo pulled his fins back and dropped back into the water until only his head and shoulders were still above the water. 

Thorin gasped when, after lining himself up, Bilbo took Thorin in hand again and gave him an experiemental lick. “You don’t have to.” He manage to grind out as Bilbo repeated the same exploratory movements as before with his tongue. 

Bilbo looked up at him with his big sea-green eyes just as he sucked Thorin’s head into his mouth, still messaging it with his tongue. Thorin growled curses under his breath not sure which was better: the feel of Bilbo’s mouth and tongue or the sight of him as he sucked Thorin in.

They lost eye contact as Bilbo pushed forward, taking Thorin in deeper, and began sucking in earnest. Thorin cursed again as he carded his hand through Bilbo’s curls, desperate to hold on to him. He gripped the deck with his other hand to hold himself steady and squeezed until his knuckles went white.

“Bilbo!” He ground out brokenly just before his whole world seemed to tilt. The world went white beneath his eyelids and he moaned as Bilbo continued to suck him through his peak. Thorin had only slightly recovered, when Bilbo finally pulled off with one last suck.

Thorin panted trying to get his breath back while Bilbo rested his head on his thigh contentedly. “Are you sure you’ve never done that before?” He asked when his world wasn’t spinning so much anymore.

Bilbo grinned. “Yeah.”

“You’re awfully good at it.”

Bilbo’s grin turned playful as he looked up at Thorin. “It’s just like eating sea cucumbers.”

Thorin stared in surprise before braking out in loud full-bodied laugh and Bilbo chuckled along. 

“Was it good?” Bilbo smiled up at Thorin when his human had mostly recovered from his laughter.

“It was amazing.” Thorin said through the last of his chuckles. “Do you really eat sea-cucumbers that way?”

“Pretty much. If you bite into them, they get really hard, so you have to suck them down gently to make them stay soft. Massaging them with your tongue makes them loose and easier to swallow.” Bilbo explained with a playful grin.

Thorin chuckled again and pulled Bilbo back up into his lap. “Watching you eat one must be obscene. . . I want to see it.” He pulled Bilbo close.

Bilbo laughed as he went willingly and wrapped his arms around Thorin’s neck as they shared a loving nuzzle. “I’ll keep my eye out for one.” He promised. 

“Now are you hungry?” Thorin asked after several more languid kisses.

“Yeah.” Thorin released him so he could prop himself up on the deck to eat his fruit.

“So,” Bilbo started as he popped the first grape into his mouth. “You’re here early. The full moon’s tomorrow night.”

“I have some good news.” 

Thorin told Bilbo about his plans to take a full week off every month from then on while Bilbo ate his fruit. The resulting beaming grin was well worth any trouble his family might give him when they found out.

As soon as Bilbo was done eating, he was back in Thorin’s lap. They cuddled and chatted for a while until Bilbo convinced Thorin to go for a swim. Bilbo kept them near the surface as they swam around the cove so Thorin wouldn’t have to put on any of his bulky gear. 

They returned to the boat for a late dinner and Thorin spent the rest of the evening trying to convince Bilbo to sleep in the water for the night. He was reluctant and pouted at Thorin’s insistence, but Thorin was sure it would be better for Bilbo to stay in the water. Besides, they would be spending the next three nights together and Thorin would still be here for a couple days after that.

Bilbo finally relented with a pout but made Thorin promise not to sleep in to late.

Thorin spent the rest of the evening trying to coax Bilbo out of his pout, though he wasn’t even entirely sure Bilbo wasn’t doing it on purpose for just that reason. Thorin didn’t mind either way; it was his pleasure to lavish his partner with attention. 

When the sun went down, they said goodbye for the night and returned to their own beds. The next day was spent much the same with much talking and cuddling, but Thorin could feel a growing buzz under his skin in anticipation for the full moon that night. And, based on his giddiness, Thorin as pretty sure Bilbo was feeling it too.

They spent their day in anticipation of sundown. They took their meals together and went for another swim, trying to find things to do to make the time go by faster. Finally, Bilbo pulled himself out of the water with Thorin’s help and laid out to dry as the sun was going down. They weren’t wasting any time tonight.

By the time the sun disappeared into the sea, Bilbo was already dry and immediately started glowing as his transformation began. Thorin wasnt in the mood to wait for Bilbo to get his legs under him and picked him up and threw him over his shoulder and toted him into the cabin.

“Thorin!” Bilbo squawked with no heat as Thorin deposited him onto the bed. “I can walk.” He laughed.

“Too slow. Not waiting.” Thorin quickly divested himself of his clothes before joining Bilbo on the little single sized bed. A single wasn’t ideal, but it was better than the floor of the deck.

Thorin all but tackled Bilbo into the bed, pinning a giggling Bilbo down with a rough kiss. Bilbo ran his fingered through Thorin’s short thick hair as their tongues battled for dominance. He gasped when Thorin pinched at his nipple and Thorin took the opportunity to gain control of the kiss. 

Thorin moved to Bilbo’s neck as he started rocking against his partner, rubbing their erections together. Bilbo gasped and strangled a moan as Thorin moved against him, taking the opportunity to map out the muscles in Thorin’s back and shoulders.

Thorin had worked his way down to a nipple when he took them both in hand and began slowly stroking. He had no intention of finishing this way. Bilbo arched into his grip but suddenly started protesting.

“W-Wait! Wait, Thorin!” He tried to push him up.

“What?” Thorin was disappointed to be stopped, but he sat up.

“I . . I don’t know . . how humans . . do it.” He ended with a blush.

Thorin cocked a brow at him. “It can’t be that different. Your equipment is pretty much the same.” He gave Bilbo’s cock a yank.

“Ah! Of course, it’s different! We don’t have legs!”

“But you have tails.” 

“T-tails don’t get in the way. Everything is in the front. W-what am I supposed to do with these?” Bilbo asked referring to his legs.

Thorin smirked as he reached down and grabbed each of Bilbo’s legs just under his knees. He picked them up and spread Bilbo’s legs wide open and pushed back as he leaned over him until Bilbo was nearly bent in half.

Bilbo blushed even harder at Thorin’s playful smirk as he was spread open and inviting. “And you think eating sea-cucumbers is obscene? This is obscene!”

“Good sex always is.” Thorin rumbled playfully as he sat back up enough to nip at the side of Bilbo’s knee. “And the view’s pretty good too.” He winked at his partner who only got redder.

He leaned back so he could fully appreciate the view and noticed something he hadn’t been expecting. “Keep your leg up.” Thorin ordered before letting Bilbo’s leg go so he could use his hand. Bilbo made a questioning sound but did as he was told and grabbed his leg to keep it held up.

Thorin placed his thumb just under Bilbo’s balls and gently pushed them up so he could get a better view. Thorin raised a brow as he ran his thumb down just inside the outer lips of what looked like a fully developed vagina. “I thought you weren’t a maid?” He teased as Bilbo squirmed with a weak moan under Thorin’s caresses.

“I’m not.” He moaned, to lost in Thorin’s gentle probings to be defensive. 

“Then what’s this?” Thorin gently worked his thumb in deeper, massaging the inner lips. 

“MMMmm!” Bilbo arched, biting his lip. “B-Birth canal?”

“And why would you have one of those?” Thorin had most of his thumb inserted and continued to massage, enjoying watching Bilbo squirm.

“S-some sea-people . . have both. . . . P-Please, Thorin! Want you!” Bilbo moaned pleadingly.

How could he refuse such a sweet plea. He pulled his thumb out and leaned over to the night stand and pulled out a condom and lube from the drawer. He had stocked up for this trip. He wasn’t sure they really even needed condoms, but figured it was best to start out with them, at least.

Bilbo watched from under heavy lids as Thorin prepared himself and lubed them both up. 

Thorin lined himself up as he leaned over Bilbo braced on one hand. A vagina certainly made things easier. “I don’t know if this will hurt or not.” 

“It’s okay.” Bilbo reassured. He gasped as Thorin stroked his cock to get him worked up again.

Thorin continued stroking him for a few seconds before he pushed forward with a firm thrust, burrying himself completely into his partner. Bilbo gasped and strangled a moan at the sudden pressure, but showed no signs of pain.

Bilbo bits his lips to cut off his moans as Thorin tried a few more experimental thrusts. Convinced that Bilbo wasn't in any discomfort, Thorin relieved Bilbo of holding his legs up and draped them over his arms as he braced himself over Bilbo.

Bilbo was already panting when Thorin began thrusting into him. He squirmed and moaned beneath Thorin, gripping the pillows and sheets just to have something to hold onto. This certainly wasn’t Thorin’s first time, but he couldn’t remember ever feeling this good or this excited with a partner before.

He pounded into his willing partner, torn between wanting to be closer and wanting to enjoy the view of his writhing love beneath him. He noticed that Bilbo looked like he was going to chew a hole through his lip if he kept biting it like that. “Stop that.” He paused in his thrusts and put a thumb to Bilbo’s lips. “Open.” 

Bilbo opened his mouth obediently and Thorin stuck his thumb in so Bilbo couldn’t close his mouth. “Now, don’t bite me.” He ordered before beginning again with a particularly hard thrust. 

“AHHH!” Bilbo arched beneath Thorin. Now that he was unable to close his mouth, the room echoed with his moans and cries. The sound made Thorin even harder, if that was possible, and he pounded into his lover like his life depended on it. 

Bilbo’s legs began trembling violently against Thorin’s arms and he knew he was close. Thorin wasn’t sure how much longer he could hold out, but wasn’t about to leave his love unsatisfied. It only took a few pumps of Bilbo's cock to make his breathing go short and ragged as he rapidly reached his peak. 

He arched hard with a cry and Thorin couldn’t help but follow. His hips stuttered and he moaned low as he thrust through his own peak, drawing out the feeling for as long as possible.

Thorin leaned into his lover’s chest and tried to catch his breath, trying not to put too much weight on him, but not quite ready to move yet. Bilbo was panting under him and Thorin could feel his legs still twitching now and then.

Thorin grinned smugly as he placed a kiss to Bilbo’s chest before sitting back up and carefully extracting himself. Bilbo moaned weekly as Thorin pulled out. Thorin tucked an arm under him and rolled Bilbo over on top of him as he did his best to settle them both comfortably on the small bed.

By the time Thorin was comfortable. Bilbo was already snoring softly against his shoulder. Thorin huffed a laugh at his boneless, sleepy lover, but let him rest. After all, he had a few minutes before Thorin would be ready to go again.


	18. ‘Our’ Bed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> More smut! Just like I promised. ;)

They made love many times throughout the night and we’re still going at it when the warning alarm for sunrise went off. They only had a few minutes to rest after they finished before Thorin had to carry his boneless, sated partner back out to the deck so he could get back into the water.

They were both exhausted when they parted and agreed they would sleep until around lunch time before meeting up again.

Thorin collapsed into his bed, thoroughly satisfied. The room reeked of sex and the bed was probably filthy, but Thorin was to happy and tired to care. He would clean everything up when he woke up. Within minutes, he was out.

When lunch time came around, it wasn’t his alarm that woke him but his rumbling belly. He hadn’t bothered to eat anything after seeing Bilbo back to the water. He rolled out of bed feeling a little gross for not cleaning up earlier and headed straight for the shower. Once he was clean, he quickly stripped and remade the bed, not concerned with neatness since they would just be messing it up again tonight.

When he was finished, he went to the kitchen and made himself a big brunch along with a couple large bowls of fresh fruit. He was sure Bilbo was going to be just as famished. By the time he got everything down to the deck, a still yawning Bilbo had joined him. They greeted with a kiss before settling down to eat.

When their bellies were finally full, they resituated and Bilbo floated between Thorin’s legs with his head resting on Thorin’s thigh. “So, tell me about these sea-people with both.”

Bilbo’s brows furrowed in confusion for a moment before he recalled what Thorin was talking about. “Oh. . . I don’t know much about it, just that some sea-people are born with both male and female parts.”

“We’re either of your parents like that?”

“No, just me.”

“Who told you about it?”

“My mom before she died. She taught me everything she thought I would need to know as early as I could learn it, just in case something happened to her.”

“Did she tell you anything else about it?”

Bilbo hummed as he tried to remember. “She said that I was born with both, but I wouldn’t fully mature as either until I chose a mate. I guess, when we choose our mate, we develop the opposite organs of our chosen mate. Since your male, I became a bearer instead of a sire.”

“I don’t know. Your male organ seems pretty well developed.” Thorin rumbled teasingly, just barely rubbing at one of Bilbo’s ears.

Bilbo cupped his ear protectively with a jolt. “R-reproductively mature, not sexually mature!”

“What’s the difference?” Thorin asked baffled.

“Both organs function physically, but only one is . . fertile. I can bear, but I can’t sire.”

“But I’m human and you’re a sea-person. Is it even possible for us to get pregnant?” Not that Thorin would mind, but, even with legs, Bilbo was still essentially a sea-person.

“I don’t know. I don’t remember her talking about that and humans, but I’m sure I’m not remembering everything either. I’ll try to remember more.”

Thorin caressed Bilbo’s curls reassuringly. “It’s all right. Don’t stress about it. We’ll figure it out.” 

“Does it . . bother you? That I’m like this?” Bilbo asked uncertainly after several minutes of silence.

Thorin raised a brow at him. “Really? Did I seem bothered by it last night?”

Bilbo looked up at him timidly. “No, but. .”

“It doesn’t bother me.” Thorin cut him off. He took Bilbo’s jaw in his hands and lifted his head to face him directly. “It doesn’t matter to me whether you’re male or female or both, or if you’re sea-person or a human. I love you as you are, whatever that is.”

Bilbo stared into his eyes and Thorin could only hope that he could see how sincerely he meant it. Thorin didn’t let him go until he finally nodded. 

“Speaking of which,” Thorin pulled out another velvet box from his pocket. “Now That our union has been . . consummated, I need to give you this.”

Bilbo was instantly wide eyed when Thorin pulled the box out and he pushed himself up onto Thorin’s lap as he watched with keen interest as Thorin opened the little box.

“When humans get married, sometimes they give two rings. The first one I gave you, is what we call an engagement ring. It reflects my desire and intent to make you mine. This one is called the wedding ring. It represents that you are mine, forever.” He explained as he added it to the chain holding the other ring around Bilbo’s neck. 

Once it was on, Bilbo picked up his two shiny rings and admired them both. The wedding ring wasn’t as elaborate, but was still covered in diamonds all the way around.

When Bilbo had looked his fill, he turned back to Thorin with a wide happy grin. He nearly tackled Thorin as he threw himself at him for a kiss which Thorin gladly reciprocated. 

They spent the rest of the day resting and cuddling, saving their energy for another busy night. By the time the the sun went down, Bilbo was dry and ready to go. Thorin scooped him up and deposited him onto the bed as fast as he could get there. 

Bilbo giggled as Thorin wasted no time in joining him on the bed. “You know what the best part about having legs is?” Thorin rumbled over him. 

“What?” Bilbo giggled back.

“They’re flexible, which means you can take many different positions. . . Turn over.” Thorin ordered with a growl.

Bilbo made a small noise of confusion, but did as he was told. Thorin guided him until he had him on his hands and knees. 

“W-will it really work this way?” Bilbo asked skeptical. Sea-people were limited in the number of positions they could take because of their form.

“Trust me. It’ll work.” Thorin rumbled into his ear just to see that tremble he loved causing.

Thorin reached around and started stroking Bilbo in the front before he started to gently massage him from behind. Within minutes, Bilbo was chanting his name and pushing back into his hand. Thorin peppered kisses onto his back as he took just a little longer to make sure Bilbo was ready.

Thorin had thoroughly trained him the night before to keep his mouth open and not try to muffle his noises, so the room was already ringing with Bilbo’s gasps and moans of pleasure. Thorin soaked it all up, loving the sounds of his lover’s pleasure.

When Bilbo started sounding desperate, Thorin readied himself and lined up. He pushed in without hesitation, knowing there wouldn’t be any resistance after last night’s thorough work over.

They both moaned at the intrusion. It was tight and Thorin had to pause and breath to calm down. Bilbo pushed back into him impatiently with a whine and Thorin huffed a laugh at his eagerness. “Yes, yes.”

Thorin grabbed his partner right above his hips and started out slowly, doing his best to draw out as many moans and cries as he could. Bilbo was having none of that, he did his best to rock into him for a faster, harder thrust, but Thorin held him steady despite his efforts. 

“Thorin~!” He whined in protest. “At-at least harder, plea . . AHH!”

Thorin slammed his hips forward, cutting off Bilbo’s plea. He alternated between slow thrusts and hard, fast thrusts to keep his lover satisfied. When Bilbo started trembling as he neared his peak, Thorin gently guided him into a face down position so he’d be more comfortable.

Bilbo squeezed the pillow under him and moaned unashamedly as Thorin started pounding into him with a mission. When Thorin didn’t think he could go much longer, he reached under and gave Bilbo’s cock a few pulls. Bilbo exploded underneath him with a cry and Thorin gripped him tight chasing his own release. 

He caught it with a deep groan, his rhythm stuttering as he thrust through it. He rested for a moment, draped over his partner, as he came down from his high. He pulled out, illiciting another small moan from his partner and resituated them both so they would be more comfortable.

“I take it back. Legs are brilliant.” Bilbo mumbled into Thorin’s chest. He was all but draped over him.

Thorin chuckled under him, running his fingers through Bilbo’s sweaty curls. “Wait til we try some more positions.”

“How many are there?” Bilbo gaped at him with his chin propped on his chest.

“A lot.” Thorin chuckled.

Bilbo huffed, dropping his head back down to rest his cheek on Thorin’s chest. “Need break first.”

Thorin pressed a kiss to Bilbo’s curls. “You have a few minutes.” He rumbled with promise.

They spent most of the night making love as Thorin introduced Bilbo to a variety of new positions. When the sunrise alarm went off, they both startled awake, having fallen asleep after their most recent round. 

Bilbo protested saying he could walk when Thorin carried him out to the deck but surrendered gracefully, not really in the mood to walk anyway. They agreed to the same arrangement as yesterday and parted ways to get some rest. 

They met up again around lunch time and ate a large meal together. They were just finishing up when Thorin broke the silence. 

“I think a bigger bed would be more comfortable tonight.” 

“I thought you said there weren’t any bigger ones on the boat?”

“There aren’t.”

Bilbo eyed Thorin suspiciously. “Then were would we get a bigger one?”

“I have a bedroom in the house on the island. It has a large, soft bed. It would be a nice change.” Thorin watched Bilbo carefully as he finished his suggestion. 

Bilbo tensed and started picking at what was left of his fruit. “Y-you . . want to . .” He didn’t even seem sure how to finish the question. 

“It’s safe.” Thorin reassured. “I wouldn’t do anything to put you at risk.”

“Th-there’s another human there.”

“We’ll sneak in. You don’t have to meet him. If he finds out, I’ll tell him to keep his mouth shut about it. Even if he does catch us, he’ll just assume you’re human anyway.” 

Bilbo continued to pick at his fruit and Thorin could tell he was stressed by the idea. 

Thorin ran his hand through his curls. “It was just a suggestion. It’s fine if you’re not ready, but it would be much more comfortable and I think you would really like it.”

Bilbo gnawed his lip in silence and Thorin gave him some space to decide. He wouldn’t push; he didn’t want to turn their last night together for awhile into something scary and stressful, but he would have to suggest it eventually anyway. The bed on the boat just wasn’t cutting it. 

Bilbo was quiet for several minutes, clearly thinking hard about Thorin’s suggestion. “I will . . be with you . . the whole time?” He asked timidly.

“Yes, I won’t let you out of my sight.”

“And . . the other human . . won’t know?”

Thorin shrugged. He couldn’t promise Dori wouldn’t find out. “Even if he finds out, he won’t care. He won’t know what you are and it’s not his job to keep track of who I’m with. He just takes care of the house. I’m his boss, he’ll do as I say.”

Bilbo was silent for several more minutes. “Alright.” He conceded softly.

“Really?” Thorin wasn’t expecting him to agree to it tonight.

“Yeah, if it’s what you want. I’m scared, but I trust you.”

Thorin cupped his face in one hand and made him look at him. “You don’t have to be scared. I will keep you safe.”

Bilbo nodded with a weak smile, but was still chewing his lip. 

He was tense the rest of the day and Thorin did his best to help him relax and take his mind off it. He only hoped the experience itself would ease the stress rather than multiply it. That evening as the sun went down, Thorin drove back to the rec dock with Bilbo following right behind him. 

Once his boat was docked, he scanned the island for any sign that Dori was watching. He had to figure out how to get Bilbo dry without leaving him too exposed. He leaned over the side of the boat and softly called to his love.

Bilbo almost immediately popped up, eyes wide with apprehension. He never visited this side of the island when it was still light out. 

Thorin hated doing it, but this was a step they were going to have to take. “Do you think I can pull you up into the boat? I don’t want you out where anyone can see you. You’ll be out of sight in here.”

Bilbo eyed the boat in thought for a moment before nodding. He reached up so that they could wrap their arms around each other and pushed himself out of the water as Thorin pulled. 

Thorin sent him down on the floor of the boat as carefully as he could before doing another scan for witnesses. He still didn’t see any signs of anyone, so he helped Bilbo get as comfortable as possible.

He had intended to keep watch while Bilbo dried, but, seeing how his fins were trembling, he decided it was more important for him to comfort his partner. He did one more scan before sitting down cross-legged in front of Bilbo and pulling him into his lap.

Bilbo eagerly wrapped his arms tightly around Thorin’s waist and rested his head on his hip. Thorin caressed his curls with one hand while rubbing soothing circles into his back with the other.

Bilbo slowly relaxed and, by the time he had his legs, he wasn’t shaking anymore. Thorin pulled out a spare shirt he had brought for him and got him covered. It wasn’t much, but it might have well been a gown on the short man.

Thorin took his hand. “Are you ready?”

Bilbo squeezed his hand, but nodded.

“Then it’s time to be sneaky.” Thorin said quietly with a playful smirk. If he could make it seem more like a game, maybe Bilbo wouldn’t be as scared.

Thorin led him by the hand as they left the boat. He headed straight for the gardens, choosing the routes with the most bushes and hedges between them and the house. Bilbo cowered behind Thorin and any other cover he could find, but stayed right with him the whole way. Thorin made sure to keep a firm grip on him as he guided him. 

After a few minutes of slinking around, they made it to one of the side entrances with no sign of being noticed. Thorin opened the unlocked door just enough to see if the cost was clear. Bilbo was practically plastered to his back as he listened for any sign of Dori. After hearing no sign of him for several minutes, Thorin creeped through the door, pulling Bilbo along after him.

They creeped through the house quietly as Thorin led them to his room as fast as he could. A few minutes later, Thorin was gently closing the door behind them after they had finally made it to his room. “There, now your safely locked in here with me.” He made a show of locking the door.

Bilbo didn’t look very reassured. “He won’t come in here?”

“Not if he wants to keep his job. He knows I’m here, he’ll assume I’m using my room.”

Bilbo nodded but still kept a tight grip on Thorin’s hand. 

“Come on. I’ll show you around.” Thorin leisurely guided him around the room. He showed him his large private bathroom and the walk in closet full of all the shirts that Dis had bought him. That got a giggle out of the sea-man and his tension seemed to ease a bit.

Thorin showed him his balcony and pointed out the very spot that Thorin had first seen the sea-man that night on the beach. When Thorin was done, Bilbo looked around the room in confusion.

“I thought you said there was a bed here.”

Thorin chuckled as he walked over to the big, square curtained frame in the room. “This is the bed.” He threw open the curtains as he revealed the Californian King sized beast.

Bilbo’s eyes got wide as he gaped at it. “This is a bed? Why is it covered?”

“For privacy.” Thorin rumbled into his ear as he wrapped around him from behind. “Shall we try it?” He was already unbuttoning the shirt Bilbo was wearing.

Bilbo’s breath hitched and he climbed up onto the bed as soon as Thorin had his shirt off. “It’s so soft!” Bilbo marveled as he laid himself out on it.

Thorin chuckled as he stripped his own clothes off. “I knew you’d like it.” He climbed onto the bed and plopped himself down next to Bilbo, giving him room to admire the bed.

Bilbo seemed to have other plans though since he immediately climbed on top of Thorin and straddled him. He was already half erect as he began rocking and grinding into Thorin. He ran his fingers through the hair on Thorin’s chest and stomach as he traced Thorin’s defined muscles. 

Thorin hummed appreciatively as he grabbed Bilbo’s cock and began rubbing teasing circles around the tip. Bilbo had really come out of his shell in the past two nights and was becoming increasingly bold and vocal about what he wanted. Thorin had to congratulate himself for training his so well.

“Is this what you want?” He emphasized with a buck of his hips. 

“No, I-I want . .” Bilbo chewed his lip uncertainly.

“Tell me. I would give you anything.” Thorin rumbled seductively, giving his wrist a twist.

Bilbo gasped and started rocking more insistently into Thorin. “I want . .”

“Come on. Say it for me.” He stiffened his wrist so Bilbo would thrust into his hand every time he rocked forward.

Bilbo moaned as his rocking turned into proper thrusting. “Thorin~ I want you to pound me into it! Make it _our_ bed!”

Thorin hummed in approval. “And do you want it from the front or behind?” He emphasized the last word with a firm grip to Bilbo’s rear.

“Ummm.” Bilbo furrowed his brows in indecision as if Thorin had asked him an incredibly difficult question.

Thorin watched with a smirk as Bilbo deliberated with himself. He knew Bilbo loved it from behind but also loved the intimacy of facing each other. 

“Front . . first. We can do from behind next.”

Thorin chuckled at Bilbo’s solution. In a blink, Thorin had flipped them over so he was pinning Bilbo.

Bilbo pulled him into a kiss, wrapping his arms and legs around him as if to trap him. 

Thorin moved down to Bilbo’s neck to free his mouth as he reached between them and stroked them both. When Bilbo started begging for more, Thorin sat up to reach for a condom. Before he could reach it, Bilbo stopped him.

“D-do we have to?”

“It will be messier without. And we don’t know if you can get pregnant or not.” Thorin raised a brow at him. 

“I don’t mind. I want to feel you, just you. Please?”

It’s not like Thorin minded the extra mess or the idea that Bilbo could get pregnant, though he had no idea how they would be able to make that work. “Are you sure?”

Bilbo nodded with no hesitation. 

“Alright.” He ignored the condom and just grabbed the lube, wanting to make sure that Bilbo would be confortable.

Bilbo spread his legs eagerly as Thorin lined himself up and thrust in. Thorin settled down over his lover and Bilbo wrapped his arms and legs back around him. Thorin started slowly grinding into him as he suck and nibbled on Bilbo’s sensitive ears.

Bilbo clung to him almost desperately as Thorin gradually sped up his thrusts and added more force. Thorin braced himself as he really started pounding Bilbo into the bed, just as he wanted. 

“Oh, yes! Thorin~!” Bilbo arched as his legs began to tremble as his breaths got short. His nails dug into Thorin’s back with the force that he was gripping him with and the sting spurred Thorin on even more.

Thorin continued to thrust as he groaned through his release while Bilbo cried out and spasmed through his own. A few minutes later, they were cuddling on their newly consummated bed.

“So, now it’s _our_ bed, hmm?”

“O-only if you want it to be.” Bilbo back-peddled.

“Of course, I told you I’d give you anything. That includes anything of mine.”

Bilbo beamed at him before snuggling even closer and melting into Thorin’s side happy and content.

Thorin held him close, nuzzling into his hair. He was pretty sure he would be willing to do just about anything to keep Bilbo happy. If Bilbo was happy, Thorin was happy. Even just laying here with him in _their_ bed made Thorin content. He might even be satisfied to just rest here instead of keeping busy all night. But first . . “So, about round two . . From behind, was it?”


	19. Interruption

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright everyone, this is the last week of chapter posts for this month. I just can't keep up with posting three chapters a week every week right now. I don't know what I was thinking when I started writing three works at once (won't be doing that again). So, until further notice, I will be posting new chapters for each work 2 times a month. So, the first and third full weeks will be my posting weeks (that cuts down the number of chapters I need to write from 12+ to 6 per month). Maybe when I finally finish a couple I will be able to bump it back up to every week, but, right now, it's just too much. I considered pausing a couple so I could work on one at a time, but I just can't do that to you guys, so this was my alternative. I figured that, this way, all three stories will still get regular updates.
> 
> Thank you for being patient with me! I appreciate all my readers and thrive on your comments! Have a great rest of the month! :D
> 
>  
> 
> Check out this beautiful fanart by Rityuu: [ Mer!BIlbo](https://78.media.tumblr.com/4531e180a08cb96ac973d6cb8d4ba2c8/tumblr_pevntdBc511vg0za4o1_1280.png)

After a couple more rounds, they settled in for the night, content to simply rest in each other’s arms. Despite having a much larger bed, they still slept wrapped around each other as if they had no extra room. They slept soundly until the warning alarm went off. Thorin had set it for a little earlier so he would have time to get Bilbo back to the cove. 

Thorin roused a drowsy Bilbo and get him buttoned up in his shirt again. He knew Dori was an early riser but didn’t know if he would be up yet or not. He discreetly led Bilbo back through the house and the back garden to the rec dock. 

By the time they made it to the dock, the sun was close to being up, so Bilbo slipped back into the water. Thorin wanted to escourt Bilbo back to the cove, but Bilbo insisted that he would be fine and would see him later. After Bilbo had left, Thorin went back to his room to get a few more hours of sleep. 

Later that morning, as he was getting ready to head back to the cove, he ran into Dori.

“Morning, sir. Shall I freshen your bedding today?” 

“Yes, Thank you, Dori.” He wasn’t surprised Dori had found them out. They weren’t exactly being quiet. As long as Dori did his job and kept his nose out of Thorin’s business, He didn’t really care if Dori knew or what he thought about it.

“Of course, sir.”

Thorin continued, feeling even more confident in his choice of employee. Dori had proven to be an excellent house-keeper. Soon, he was tying his boat up and boarding the giant pontoon. Bilbo was there to greet him as soon as he got to the deck.

The full moon was over but they still had several days to spend together before Thorin had to go back to work. They spent their time resting and talking. Bilbo seemed much more agreeable to future nights in Thorin’s big bed after the experience and Thorin sighed in relief for it.

They parted for the nights but would meet back up every morning and spend the days just enjoying each other’s company. Soon enough, it was time for Thorin to leave again. Despite it being the longest Thorin had ever been able to spend there with Bilbo, it felt like far too soon that he was leaving again.

They exchanged sweet goodbyes filled with promise before Thorin left to go back to work. Three weeks. He only had to make it three weeks before he could come back. He burried himself into his work to make the time pass faster. What little free time he did have he used for two new missions.

The first was long overdue. He needed to invest in some more versatile diving gear. Anything that would give him more speed and maneuverability while being as unobtrusive as possible. He also needed to find a more manageable breathing device so he wouldn’t have to lug around those massive air tanks. He wanted to be able to enjoy the ocean with Bilbo without feeling like he was an astronaut in space.

The second was equally important. He wanted to bring Bilbo a gift. He hated having to leave Bilbo for such long periods of time and figured the least he could do was to not return empty handed. But he was at a loss as to what he could give him. Sure, he could buy him more jewelry, but Bilbo could only wear so much and anything Thorin gave him would have to be able to survive in the water.

So, when he wasn’t working, he was researching and the time flew by quickly. Balin arranged his vacation time as he had asked and seemed to have no problem with it considering all the work that Thorin had been getting done. By the time he was leaving for his monthly vacation, he had settled on a gift and made some progress with his research.

As he drove his motorboat around the island towards the pontoon, he noticed a brilliant metallic glint following along the boat. Just as he turned to get a better look, Bilbo jumped out of the water and greeted him with a wide grin. Thorin couldn’t help but smile back and chuckle as Bilbo kept pace with the boat jumping out of the water here and there. 

Bilbo nearly jumped into the boat in his excitement as Thorin tied it up. “Stop it. You’re gonna hurt yourself.” Thorin ordered with a chuckle. He leaned down so Bilbo could kiss him properly. 

Bilbo wrapped his arms around Thorin’s neck and Thorin wondered if it was a good idea to allow himself to be caught in such a precarious position. He gently pried Bilbo’s arms off and chuckled at Bilbo’s disappointed whine. “I’ll meet you at the deck.” He said as he gave Bilbo one more peck before letting him go back into the water.

Bilbo was there waiting for him by the time he got there and was impatiently pushing himself up on the deck with his fins, “You take too long!” He complained as Thorin sat down.

“Should I not bring you fruit anymore then?” Thorin responded.

Thorin helped him scoot over to his lap and Bilbo was instantly wrapped around him, even his fins seemed to hold him tight. “Fruit can wait. I want you more.” 

Thorin wrapped his legs around Bilbo’s tail as he pulled him in for a much desired kiss. Bilbo kissed back almost desperately as he fought for control. Thorin surrendered good-naturedly and let Bilbo take the lead. At least until Bilbo started rubbing against him, perfectly positioned between his legs as he was. 

Bilbo moaned and let him take over again as Thorin reached down and stroked the sea-man’s firm erection. Bilbo clung to him even more desperately, running one hand through Thorin’s short coal-black hair while the other wrapped around his shoulder and held on tightly.

“Mmmm. Mahal, I missed you.” Thorin rumbled deeply when they finally parted for air. He started sucking marks into Bilbo’s neck as he pulled their groins closer and into alignment. 

Bilbo picked up on the intent and quickly pulled out Thorin’s own erection out of his shorts before returning his arms to wrap around Thorin’s neck. 

Thorin took them both in hand and moaned into Bilbo’s neck as he stroked them both.

Bilbo clung to him desperately, fisting the back of Thorin’s shirt. He panted as he did his best to thrust into Thorin’s grip using his fins as leverage. 

Thorin continued to stroke then as Bilbo mumbled sweet pleas into his shoulders. He reached around and rubbed a firm stroke down Bilbo’s dorsal fin, causing him to buck into Thorin’s grip as he came undone with a muffled cry into Thorin’s shoulder.

Thorin continued to stroke them and reached his own release just as Bilbo started yelping at the over stimulation. He panted into his lover's hair as Bilbo melted against him. “I really missed you.”

Bilbo let out a great sigh of contentment. “I missed you more.”

Thorin chuckled into his lover’s hair. “Are you hungry now?”

“Almost.” Bilbo lounged in Thorin’s arms several more minutes before he finally decided he was ready to eat. They ate together and chatted. Thorin told him about the new gear he was researching that would let him swim with Bilbo more easily. Seeing how excited it made Bilbo at the possibility of Thorin being able to swim with him better made Thorin all the more determined to find the best gear as soon as possible.

“Oh, that reminds me. I have something for you.”

Bilbo tilted his head in curious interest as Thorin pulled out some things from a bag he had brought with him. He pulled out a small box and a larger box. He picked up the smaller box first. “I didn’t know if you would like this, so I thought I’d bring you a few to try.” He opened the box and pulled out a small deep brown piece of candy. 

“What is it?” Bilbo examined and sniffed at it curiously. 

“It’s called ‘chocolate.’” Thorin chuckled. “This one is dark chocolate.” He said as he popped it into his lover’s waiting mouth. “If you suck on it, it will start to melt in your mouth.” 

Bilbo’s brows furrowed as he concentrated on the candy in his mouth. As he sucked on the candy, his brows furrowed even more and his face slowly began to pucker. “This is . . bitter. Are you supposed to eat it?” He finally commented.

Thorin chuckled at the response. “Pure chocolate is bitter, but it’s considered a delicacy by many.” He wasn’t surprised that Bilbo wasn’t impressed by it. He pulled out a lighter piece. “Try this one. It's milk chocolate; It’s a bit sweeter.”

Bilbo took the chocolate and eyed it skeptically before cautiously popping it into his mouth. He sucked on it contemplatively but still didn’t seem all that impressed. “It’s a little sweeter.” He conceded though it was obvious he thought it should be even sweeter.

Thorin chuckled again as he pulled out one more piece, this one was white. “Alright, maybe you’ll like this one then.”

Bilbo eyed it curiously. “Is this chocolate?”

“This is white chocolate. It’s not exactly the same but it’s very similar. It’s also the sweetest kind of chocolate.”

Bilbo popped it in his mouth trustingly after a quick study of it and instantly seemed more pleased with this one. “Oh~ This one’s good. I like this one best.”

“I suspected you would.” Thorin chuckled. He had a feeling Bilbo wouldn’t be crazy about the dark chocolate but wanted to make sure anyway. He might try come milk chocolate with different fillings next time and white chocolate was obviously a keeper.

Once Bilbo had finished his candy, he started frisking Thorin for more. “More?” 

“No more.” Thorin laughed. “I wasn’t sure how you would handle them so I only brought samples this time.”

For a moment it looked like Bilbo was going to pout, but it passed quickly. “Thank you. I like trying new things, especially if you bring them for me.” He nuzzled Thorin lovingly in appreciation before giving him a languid kiss.

“You’re most welcome.” Thorin nuzzled him back. “I have one more thing for you.” He gently picked up the larger box and placed it between them. “Open it.”

Bilbo gently lifted the lid and gasped at what he found in side. “What is this?” He asked in awe.

“It’s a glass rose. Men often gift their lovers flowers but I knew real flowers wouldn’t last long in the ocean. So I had this one made for you.”

Bilbo carefully lifted the beautiful glass masterpiece from the box. It was intricately crafted right down to the veins on the leaves and looked incredibly lifelike. It was a fully opened red rose resting on a bed of vibrant green leaves and had a short stem. It had tiny silver specks throughout the glass which gave it a shimmering effect.

Bilbo studied it awestruck. “Thorin, it’s . . it’s beautiful.” 

“I’m glad you like it.” Thorin placed a kiss to his distracted lover’s temple. 

Bilbo carefully placed the rose back into the box so he could properly thank his husband. “Thank you. I love it!” He wrapped his arms around Thorin’s neck and pulled him into another long kiss. “I know exactly where to put it.” He declared when they finally pulled apart.

“Oh, yeah?” Thorin chuckled. “You’ll have to show me next time.”

Bilbo beamed at him at the thought and eagerly nodded his head in agreement.

They sat and cuddled the day away before they separated for the night. The full moon didn’t start until tomorrow night, so they both went to rest up. Bilbo took his rose and eagerly deposited it in its special place.

The next two nights they snuck into the house without incident to spend the night in Thorin’s room. Bilbo’s fear quickly dissipated with every successful escapade and soon they weren’t really even trying to be sneaky anymore. But it _was_ getting harder and harder to make it to the bedroom. 

It was the last night of the full moon and they were both feeling an urgency to get as much intimate time in as possible. Thorin was all but dragging Bilbo, who was already trying to climb him, to the house. They had only barely made it into the house when Thorin couldn’t take it anymore.

Thorin pinned him up against the wall and groped Bilbo’s bare rear as he ground into him. “Mahal! I should just take you right here!” He growled.

Bilbo wrapped his legs around Thorin’s waist and his arms around his neck and arched into him. “Yes! Oh, Eru! Yes!”

Thorin growled again as he attacked Bilbo’s neck and ground them together more insistently.

Bilbo yelped as the light suddenly flicked on. They had only barely made it into the living room and Dori stood on the other side by the light switch. Bilbo clung to Thorin insecurely as Thorin tried to discreetly make sure Bilbo was as covered as possible since he was still only wearing Thorin’s shirt. 

“Dori.” Thorin nearly growled, not happy about being interrupted.

“Pardon me, sir. I heard quite the ruckus and thought we might have an ambitious burglar on the premises.” Dori apologized nonchalantly.

Thorin gently deposited Bilbo back on the floor but kept him close. “This is Bilbo. You may see him occasionally while I’m here. Bilbo this is Dori. He takes care of the house.” He figured they might as well be acquainted as they may be bumping into each other more often.

“A pleasure.” Dori nodded respectfully and Bilbo nodded bashfully back.

“We were just headed to my room.” Thorin informed him as he started to nudge Bilbo along.

“Your bedroom? If you’ll forgive my saying so, that seems a rather lofty goal. The couch just there may be a bit more realistically attainable.” Dori suggested with just the barest hint of a smirk.

“We’ll make it to my room just fine.” Thorin mumbled as he pushed Bilbo along more insistently. 

“Of course, sir.” Dori didn’t sound that convinced. “If there’s anything you need, please let me know.”

They left Dori behind in the living room as they headed towards Thorin’s room but got distracted again in the upper hall. Thorin was already mostly undressed and practically carrying Bilbo along by the time they were just outside of his room. 

Thorin pushed Bilbo up against the door with a groan as Bilbo’s hand disappeared into his shorts. He growled wicked promises in his family’s secret language as Bilbo made himself at home. “Get in! Now!” He growled as he threw open the door and pushed Bilbo inside. 

A couple minutes later, Thorin was finally where he wanted to be: pounding into his lover from behind. Bilbo was face down on the bed with only one knee propped on the edge. His other leg was wrapped around Thorin’s waist. One of Thorin’s hands was wrapped around Bilbo’s thigh while his other supported Bilbo by his hip. 

Bilbo gripped the bed covers to keep from being pulled off the bed every time Thorin pulled him back into his thrust. “Thorin!” Bilbo squealed as Thorin ground into him in just the right spot. Bilbo moaned in euphoric bliss as Thorin slammed mercilessly into his sweet spot. 

Thorin murmured sweet praises and adorations in his own tongue as Bilbo’s legs began to tremble in his grip from his rising tension. Thorin felt him go tense as his breaths got short and began thrusting with renewed vigor, chasing both of their orgasms. Bilbo screamed as all of his built up tension unraveled at once and Thorin groaned behind him as his own tension snapped and burried its evidence deep into his partner.

After a few moments, Thorin pulled out and gently helped Bilbo get farther on the bed so he wouldn’t fall off before he collapsed on his back right beside him. Bilbo panted into the bed boneless and satisfied.

“At least we made it to the bed.” Thorin said when he had mostly recovered his breath.

“No. _I_ made it to the bed. You barely made it to the room.” Bilbo corrected playfully.

Thorin lifted a challenging brow at him. “You wouldn’t have made it to the room if I hadn’t pushed you in.” He emphasized with a poke to Bilbo’s ribs. 

Bilbo swatted him away with a giggle. “Then neither of us would have made it, but at least I made it to the bed . . . mostly.”

“Mostly.” Thorin chuckled. “We still made it to the room. Dori doesn’t know what he’s talking about.”

“Though, we probably only made it because he interrupted us downstairs.” Bilbo speculated. “So, he was probably right after all.”

“Hush, you!” Thorin poked at him more persistently. “You’re supposed to agree with me!” 

Bilbo’s giggle turned into a nearly frantic laugh as he tried to defend against Thorin’s assault. “Stop! Not . . enough . . breath . . for this!” He pushed out between giggles and gasps. 

Thorin relented his tickling and propped himself up over his lover as Bilbo gulped huge lungfuls of air trying to recover. He studied his panting husband thanking Mahal that he was his. He would never have had this or even found Bilbo if he hadn’t come to this island. He owed his sister a big thank you present.

“What are you thinking about?” Bilbo asked when he had finally recovered his breath.

“About how lucky I am to have you and how much I owe my sister for buying this island.” He answered honestly.

Bilbo beamed at him. “I’m the lucky one though. I had nobody until I found you.” Bilbo pulled him down for a kiss.

Thorin pulled away and cupped Bilbo’s face with his hand, stroking his cheek with his thumb. “You have me and you could have a family as soon as you're ready to meet mine. They might be surprised at first, but I know they would love you. My nephews have already adopted you.”

Bilbo chewed on his lip at the nerve wracking proposition. “Not . . not yet. . . . Soon.”

Thorin nodded. He would wait until Bilbo was ready. “Well, now that we’re on the bed.” He leaned over and nipped at one of Bilbo’s nipples. “Shall we continue?”

“AHH! Thorin! We just . . Mmmmm!” He devolved into moans as Thorin gently sucked and licked. 

“I want you again.” Thorin growled. “I won’t be able to have you like this again for almost a month.”

“Yes, yes, yes” Bilbo was already chanting lost in his pleasure. 

After another vigorous round, Bilbo lay over top of Thorin boneless and panting and looking thoroughly debauched. 

“Mahal! I could never get enough of you.” Thorin murmured into his lover’s hair.

“Good. Cause I know I’ll never get enough of you either.” Bilbo whimpered through his fatigue. 

Thorin chuckled as he stroked his curly hair, now damp from the sweat of their activities. “I love you.”

“I love you more.” Bilbo responded softly.

Thorin didn’t try to argue. He just smiled into his husband’s hair. They lay there resting for some time until Bilbo jolted up.

“Ahh! I forgot! I remembered something my mom said and I was supposed to tell you about it!”

Thorin relaxed, having been alarmed by Bilbo’s sudden outburst. “What was it?”

“Mom told me once something about humans . . that . . if I ended up choosing one, they would need to find someone.” 

“Find who?” Thorin’s curiosity was piqued. What would this person have to do with his and Bilbo’s relationship?

“The . . Grey . . .” Bilbo’s brows furrowed in concentration as he tried to remember. “Fellow? . . Traveler? . . .”

Thorin lifted a brow as he tried to make sense of the name.

“No, it’s pig . . Pill? . . Ahh! Pilgrim! The Grey Pilgrim! Mom said you would need to find the Grey Pilgrim!”

The Grey Pilgrim? “Who is that and why do I need to find him?”

“I don’t know. She said he would be able to help us be together or something.” Bilbo flopped back down onto Thorin’s chest, satisfied that he had delivered his message.

Thorin mulled over the name and wondered what this mysterious man could possibly do to aid their relationship as he rubbed absentminded circles into his lover’s back. It seemed like he would have three missions to work on when he went back to work this time. 


	20. Secret Lover

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have had several people comment on my ‘Baby Bilbo’ prompt in ‘Future Works’ so I am SUPER EXCITED to be posting ‘Small, but Fierce’ as this month’s bonus sneak peak chapter! It is the first chapter to my ‘Baby Bilbo’ prompt. It actually wasn’t next on my list to post, but I decided to bump it up since so many seemed interested in it. You can find it in ‘Future Works’ and I will put the summary below. 
> 
> I just have to say, I can’t wait to write the full story cause it is gonna be a blast to write. XD Enjoy!! 
> 
> "Small, but Fierce" (Baby Bilbo Prompt)  
> As a result of a magical mishap during the trip to the lonely mountain, Bilbo is reverted to a wee little hobbitling. Only in body, of course. His adult mind is still very aware of the indignity of it all (seriously! He doesn't need to be coddled, carried, and fed like a child). It turns out, dwarves love children and there is nothing cuter than Hobbit children. Bilbo soon realizes that he can get away with just about _anything_ in his babyish form and starts taking full advantage of it. Even the grumpy brooding king can't deny the angelic little creature anything he desires (and Bilbo's going to milk _that_ for all it's worth).

After enjoying the rest of his vacation with Bilbo almost constantly by his side, he returned to work and threw himself back into his business and missions. He had an idea now of what to get for Bilbo, so that one was quickly finished. 

He ordered himself a new set of flexi-flippers and a new cutting edge breathing device that used a small tank of liquid oxygen instead of tanks of compressed air. He also invested in a new experimental face mask that comformed to the face and cut down on the bulkiness.

Once that was done he began his search for this ‘Grey Pilgrim’ guy. At first, he wasn’t able to find much, but, after some digging, he finally found a lead. By then, though, he was getting ready to head out for his next vacation. He packed up his gifts and new gear, which he planned to monkey with on the jet to familiarize himself with it, and headed out to spend a week with his husband. 

This time, he wasn’t surprised to see Bilbo jumping out of the water at him well before he made it to the cove. He did startle when Bilbo jumped out of the water and flew over his speeding motorboat, nearly clipping him with a fin, before landing harmlessly into the sea on the other side. He cursed under his breath as he tried to calm his heart. He didn’t realize Bilbo had that kind of propulsion power.

“You nearly gave me a heart attack.” He accused without heat as he tied up his boat. 

“I missed you!” Bilbo whined in defense. 

“Mahal! I missed you too!” Thorin grabbed him by the hair on the back of his head and gave him a quick rough kiss before sending him to meet him at the deck.

Almost as soon as he was seated on the deck, Bilbo was in his lap and insistently rubbing against him. 

Thorin chuckled as he reached down and grabbed his eager member. “Is this for me?” He rumbled into Bilbo’s sensitive ear.

“Eru, yes!” Bilbo squealed as Thorin took a hold of him.

Bilbo was incoherent as Thorin stroked him and sucked marks into his neck. It didn’t take long to reduce him to a melted pile of satiated flesh in Thorin’s lap.

As soon as Bilbo was able to function again, he pulled Thorin out of his shorts and returned the favor, sucking almost greedily on his lover and swallowing down his release.

After they had both recovered and eaten a meal, Thorin pulled out his gifts. Bilbo was instantly excited now that he understood the concept of gifts. The first thing Thorin pulled out was a little box of chocolates. 

“These milk chocolate ones have different fillings that change the flavor a bit.” He explained as he opened the box.

Bilbo tried three different chocolates: a mint filled one, a caramel filled one, and an almond filled one. The caramel one, being the sweetest, was his favorite but he also liked the mint filled one. “The nuts are okay.” He had concluded unimpressed.

Thorin then pulled out a larger box holding another glass flower. This one was a soft pink carnation. Bilbo marveled at the crinkly shaped petals and rewarded his husband with a passionate kiss. 

Thorin had wanted to get him a bracelet or earring, but realized, that to not tarnish in the water, it would have to be pure gold and would be more likely to break or dent from being worn. So, he settled on another glass flower.

The next day, Thorin broke out his new gear and they went for a swim. The flippers worked great and the liquid oxygen tank seemed okay, but it took him a couple of tries to get the new face mask to seal properly. Finally he figured it out and he let Bilbo lead him into the cove.

Thorin tried to keep up as Bilbo lovingly carried his new flower to a spot he had dubbed his secret garden. It was a small area where it was bare sandy sea floor and Bilbo had cleaned it up and planted his glass flower right in the center. It glittered and gleamed as the sun hit it and Thorin couldn’t help but think that it was the perfect spot for it.

Thorin watched as Bilbo gently planted his new carnation next to the rose and conscientiously cleared away any debris that would sully his garden. With that done, he returned to Thorin with a grin and proceeded to pull him around the cove. 

The new tank gave him plenty of air and the face mask greatly improved his range of vision, but the flippers just weren’t enough to do anything even close to keeping up with a sea-man. 

Bilbo swam circles around him giggling and teasing him for his general lack of swimming skills. 

Thorin would try to grab, poke or pinch at his mouthy husband whenever he thought he was close enough. Thorin was a good swimmer, after all, he just couldn’t compare to a man with fins.

Bilbo giggled all the more playing a teasing game of keep away. Thorin did his best to get a hold of him while Bilbo played at seeing how close he could get without getting caught. Which was pretty close, he was so fast he could swim up and place a kiss to the back of Thorin’s neck and be gone before Thorin could even turn around.

By the time Bilbo finally let himself be caught, Thorin was quite sure he was going to need more than flippers to really swim with his husband. 

Bilbo pulled him through the water until they gracefully floated down into his large bed clearing. Bilbo flipped them so Thorin was resting on his back on the sand and lounged over him. “I wish I could kiss you down here.” He said as he twirled his finger in Thorin’s chest hair. “You know, properly.”

“Me too, but at least I can talk now.” That was a definite perk of the new mask. It wrapped around his jaw allowing him to still be able to talk and it wasn’t so thick that Bilbo couldn’t hear him through it.

Bilbo nodded and lay his head on Thorin’s chest. Thorin ran his fingers through his curls watching mesmerized as they floated to and fro in the water. He wanted to share more of Bilbo’s world with him just as Bilbo was able to experience more of his. He needed to find out what this ‘grey’ guy knew.

They made it into the house that night without another interruption from Dori, but, the second night, Thorin noticed something strange. As he was docking his boat, he saw there was an extra boat at the main dock. Could someone else be at the house?

Bilbo jumped out of the water and landed on the dock with a thud as Thorin stepped out of his boat. “Bilbo, wait for me here. I need to check the house.”

Bilbo quietly nodded and stared at the house in curiousity and a small bit of apprehension.

Thorin made sure Bilbo would be fine before heading to the house. He didn’t know anyone else would be visiting the island during his vacation time. He creeped into the house as quietly as possible, listening for any indication of who it might be. As he approached the main living room, murmurs and moans reached his ears. He was quite sure he recognized the deeper voice.

He stepped into the dimly lit living room. “Dwalin?”

There was a yelp and a thud as whoever had been on his lap hit the floor. Dwalin stood up quickly rezipping his pants. “Mahal, Thorin! Ye nearly gave meh a heart attack!” 

Thorin raised a brow at him as a younger man finally popped up from the floor, also redoing his pants and straightening his shirt. “M-M-Mr. Durin!” The young man stuttered.

Thorin studied the younger man. He was definitely Dwalin’s type, and he looked familiar. “Do I know you?”

“Ah. I’m Ori. Ori Ri. I did some work for you. Dori asked me to fill in for him tonight so he could take care of some things.” The young man rushed to explain.

Ah. That’s right. Dori did have a younger brother that he had hired on occasion. “And that included a rendezvous in my house on my island?” He asked somewhat coldly. He really wouldn’t have cared if it hadn’t interfered with his own rendezvous. “It doesn’t seem like you’re working.”

“I-I am so sorry!” Ori gushed repentently.

“Now you hold on!” Dwalin interfered hotly. “Meeting him here was my idea! I knew ‘e was working here so I decided to meet ‘im here. The island ain’t just yours!”

“It was paid for with my money.” Thorin responded coolly. “Therefore, it is mine.”

Dwalin glared at him. Ori was wringing his hands in his shirt.

“Babe, give us few minutes, would ya?” Dwalin hinted for Ori to make himself scarce.

Ori didn’t need to be told twice and scedaddled out of the house, giving Thorin a wide berth on his way out.

“What’s yer problem?!” Dwalin let loose once Ori was out.

“This is my vacation time. I don’t like it being disturbed. You could have met him here any other time you wanted.”

“What? So no one else can use the island when you’re here?! Are ye mad?! I knew ye were getting attached to this place, I didn’t realize ye were hoarding it like a lover!”

Thorin flinched at the accusation. It was way too close to the truth. It wasn’t the island though, he cared about. He sighed and rubbed at his face. He didn’t want to fight with Dwalin and he was losing time he should be spending with Bilbo. “Fine, I’ll just stay on the boat tonight.”

“I thought ye stayed out on the boat anyway.” Dwalin asked with a hint of suspicion.

“The bed’s too small.” Thorin responded, picking up on the suspicious too late.

“And what would ye need a bigger bed for exactly?” Dwalin asked, trying to back him into a corner.

Thorin shuffled trying to find a way out of the conversation that wouldn’t give him away. “It’s more comfortable.”

He should have known that Dwalin would pick up on his tell, they had been friends their whole lives. He raised an unimpressed brow at him. “This coming from a guy who spends most his nights on couches or office chairs?”

“All the more reason to be comfortable.” Thorin said avoiding eye contact.

“Mahal’s beard! She was right. Ye are seeing someone.” 

Thorin sighed. He should deny it, but everything in him rejected the idea. “What if I am? No one else better find out.” He growled threateningly.

“Why?! Ye think we wouldn’t be happy for ye?! Dis would throw a celebration for ye!”

Thorin rolled his eyes. “It’s not for my sake.”

“So, who is ‘e then? Where is ‘e?! Were ye meeting ‘im here tonight?”

“Yes. I meet him here on my vacations.” Thorin sighed in defeat.

“Why didn’t ye tell me?!” Dwalin nearly growled. He was usually the first person Thorin confided in.

“He’s not ready to meet the family.” 

“So! Ye could’ve still told me!”

Thorin ran his hand through his hair. “I didn’t want you snooping and I didn’t want the others to find out.” 

Dwalin studied him for a moment. “So, ye are hoarding a lover?” He said with a smirk.

“I’m not hoarding him. I’m protecting him.” Thorin huffed.

“He must be real special to ye then. For ye to not even tell yer family.”

“He is everything.” Thorin answered softly, not intending for Dwalin to hear but clearly he did anyway.

Dwalin grinned wide as he slapped Thorin on the back and ushered him over the the bar. “So, tell me about ‘im.” He grabbed them each a drink.

Thorin rolled his eyes. “He’s cute. Small. Beautiful eyes. Curly hair.”

“Stop! That’s enough. If yer gonna go all mushy on me I can only handle it in small doses.” Dwalin interrupted when Thorin started to get carried away.

“Fine. Then tell me about Ori. How’d you two get together?”

“Well, ye remember that job ye hired him for a few months back?” 

“You mean that time he slapped you?” Thorin smirked.

“Tha’s the one!” Dwalin barked a laugh.

_~Ori~_

Ori walked through the gardens fretfully. Oh, he hoped he wouldn’t get fired. He hoped Dori wouldn’t get fired! He hoped that they didn’t get into some kind of bloody fist fight.

He wandered as his imagination ran wild with what could be happening in the house and how it would turn out for his family. Working for Mr. Durin was the best work he and his brothers had ever had.

He walked, not really paying attention to where he was going, and found himself nearing one of the docks at the island. He decided he would go sit on the dock and watch the ocean while he waited. 

As he got closer, he noticed a figure on the it. It seemed to be pacing around but never leaving the dock. Ori was concerned until he remembered that this was a private island. Maybe this person had come with Mr. Durin. “Hello?” He decided it was still best to make sure from a distance.

The figure startled so violently that it tripped and fell off the dock. Ori raced out to the dock, calling for the stranger. “Hello? Are you okay? Hello?” He desperately looked around in the water but couldn’t fine anyone. Was he drowning? What was he supposed to do? Mr. Durin would kill him if his guest drowned because Ori scared him and he fell into the sea.

“H-hold on! I’ll go get help!” He started to race back up the dock.

“Wait!” A voice from behind him stopped him in his tracks and he spun around. At the end of the dock, the figure seemed to be hanging off it into the water. “D-don’t tell anyone!” The figure begged.

Ori pauses confused. “But . . but don’t you need help?”

“No. I’m fine. You just scared me.” The figure’s voice got softer as he began to sink back into the water.

Ori ran to the figure in alarm. “Let me help you!”

“What?! No! I . .” But before the stranger could finish, Ori grabbed a hold of him under his arms and yanked him up onto the deck with surprising strength. Ori always was stronger than he looked.

Ori tried to stand him up but the stranger’s legs didn’t seem to want to work.

“Just-just set me down!” He squealed in discomfort.

“Oh . . okay.” Ori did his best to gently set the stranger down on the dock and soon discovered why he was having a problem getting the man on his legs . . . He didn’t have any. Ori gaped as Bilbo pulled and flopped himself towards the edge of the dock.

“You-you’re a . . .” Ori couldn’t say it. It was impossible! There were no such things as merpeople. He stared for a moment before he realized he may have done more harm than good. “I’m so sorry! Should I push you back in?”

“No! I’m fine, thank you.” The merman said as he continued to flop until he was positioned right along the edge of the dock. If he wanted to return to the water, all he would have to do is roll over. “Who are you?”

“Oh! I’m Ori. Nice to meet you.” He remember his manners. “Umm. If you don’t mind my asking, are you really a . . . Merperson?”

“I don’t know what a ‘mer’ person is. I’m a sea-person.” He answered haughtily as he eyed Ori warily, ready to drop into the water at a moments notice.

“Oh. But, you’re real?” Ori was still having a hard time believing his own eyes.

“Yes?”

Ori stared as he processed this new revelation for a moment. “What’s your name? Do you live here?” He never was one to dwell on things beyond his control.

“Bilbo. I live in the cove.”

“Can I sit? What are doing on this side?” He didn’t bother wait for an answer before making himself confortable. 

“I was . . waiting for someone. What are you doing here?” Bilbo eyed him suspiciously.

“Oh, well. Officially, I’m filling in for my brother, but I was actually kind of meeting my boyfriend.” Ori watched in confusion as the sea-man’s face seemed to pale in the moonlight.

“You were . . were you meeting . . Thorin?” He asked insecurely.

“What?! No! I-I was meeting Dwalin! Mr. Durin scares me!” Ori got nervous just thinking about the Boss Man. 

“He’s not scary.” 

Ori blinked at the response. “Wait. Are you . . waiting for Mr. Durin?” Ori’s brain immediately went into overdrive as he started making connections. 

“Yeah. He told me to wait here while he checked out the house. He must have noticed you and Dwalin were there.”

Ori’s moth popped open as everything clicked into place. “You’re his secret lover! The reason he’s been spending so much time on the island.” But, Bilbo was a sea-man. How far could such a relationship go?

Bilbo blushed and stuttered at the accusation. “I-I’m not j-just his l-lover.” 

Ori’s eyes immediately focused on the chain Bilbo was fingering around his neck. He squinted as he tried to make out what was hanging of the it. “Mahal’s beard!!” He gasped when he realized what he was seeing. “Are you married?” 

“Uhh . .” 

“How does that even work?” Ori cut him off before he could answer.

“Umm . .”

“Ori!” A chill ran down his back as he spun at the sound of his name. He stared like a deer caught in headlights as Thorin walked down the deck towards him menacingly. “What are you doing?” He growled.

Ori shot up. “I-I-I was just . . “ he faltered back from Thorin’s intimidating display. 

“Thorin! It’s okay! He didn’t do anything!” Bilbo interceded.

“Then why are you like that?”

“Well, he startled me and I fell back in the water, but then he said he was going to get help so I had to stop him and then he pulled me back out of the water.”

“So, he did do something.”

“What? No! It was an accident.”

Ori nodded rapidly in agreement. 

“He-he won’t tell anyone . . Right?” Bilbo looked at him pleadingly and Ori knew he would never tell even if he wouldn’t sound crazy for saying such a thing. He shook his head seriously.

“You had better not. If I find out you blabbed to anyone, even your brother won’t be able to hide you.” Thorin threatened darkly.

There was a flash of light nearby, but Ori was too intimidated to look away to see what it was. Suddenly, Bilbo popped into his line of sight. . . A very naked and seemingly human Bilbo.

“Stop it. You’re scaring him.” Bilbo emphasized with a smack to Thorin’s chest.

“He should be . .Mahal, Bilbo! You can’t just go changing when other people are around!” Thorin quickly removed his shirt and threw it over his lover’s shoulders, hoping it would cover the important bits. 

“What? Why?”

“Because you’re naked!”

“But I’m naked all the time!”

“I told you it’s different for humans.”

“What? I thought you like me naked.”

“When we’re alone. It’s different when others are around.” Thorin tried to explain patiently.

“Humans are so nit picky.” Bilbo pouted.

Ori watched the whole exchange in a sort of a daze. He had never seen Mr. Durin act like this. They were definitely lovers. And how did Bilbo get legs? But at least now he could understand _how_ they could be lovers. And Bilbo totally had Mr. Durin wrapped around his finger. He couldn’t help a small smirk at the thought.

“What are you smiling about?” Thorin growled and Bilbo swatted him again.

“N-nothing!” Ori’s smirk dropped instantly.

“Good! Because of you and Dwalin we’re gonna have to spend the night on the boat.”

“What?! But-but the bed.” Bilbo whimpered in disappointment.

“Sorry, love. Maybe tomorrow.”

“Wait. What? . . . Why do you have to go back to the boat?” Ori asked confused. It’s not like he and Dwalin took up the whole house.

Thorin gave him an umimpressed look. “Secret lover, remember?”

“Oh. Well. I could distract Dwalin so you can sneak in . . And we’ll sleep late so you can sneak out in the morning.” Ori blushed at his own suggestion.

Thorin raised a brow at him. “That would work as long as Bilbo’s okay with it. ”

“O-okay, but I-I don’t have to meet him yet, right?” Bilbo asked uncertain and Thorin just shook his head ‘no’.

“Are . . are you . . scared . . of Dwalin?”

Bilbo stared at him with wide eyes, but didn’t answer.

“He’s not scary. I mean, he might look scary, but he’s really nice.” Ori defended.

Thorin chuckled at the backward compliment.

“I-I’m not ready yet!” Bilbo huddled against Thorin.

“You don’t have to meet anyone until you’re ready.” Thorin kissed his curly hair. “Unless someone sneaks up on you.” He sent a mild glare at Ori.

Oh. Oooh. This was all because of Bilbo. Mr. Durin was trying to scare them off to protect Bilbo. “I’m sorry.”

“As long as Bilbo is fine, it doesn’t matter.” Thorin seemed to brush off the apology but Ori realized he was letting him off the hook. He and Dwalin really were a lot alike.

“Well, I’ll, uh, go first and find Dwalin. You guys should sneak in the other side of the house. Is fifteen minutes enough?”

“Plenty.” Thorin rumbled as he started tugging Bilbo along.

“It-it was nice to meet you, Bilbo. I’d like to learn more about you some time.” Ori rushed to keep up as they headed towards the house.

“You-you too, Ori. You’re not scary at all.” Bilbo tried to respond as Thorin pulled him along.

Ori smiled and giggled at the standard for meeting new people. “I’ll see you again sometime then.” He waited until Bilbo said bye in return before breaking off and heading for the front of the house. Now all he had to do was go and ‘distract’ Dwalin. He didn’t think he’d ever had such an easy task.


	21. Cool Dad

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, if you haven't noticed, there is a set number of chapters now. That's because I finally finished writing it! YAY! XD Now I can focus on getting the other two done! . . . anyway, this work is finished, but it is not the end of the story. I am already planning a (at least one) sequel and possibly a prequel. Since I don't know when I am going to be able to get to the sequel, I put this work into a series, so, if you want to be notified when the sequel gets posted, you can subscribe to the series (at least, I'm pretty sure that's how it works, correct me if I’m wrong). 
> 
> Anyhoo! Enjoy the countdown! XD

Thorin sat in his jet reviewing the information he had compiled. He had several folders, each containing information on one of his newly acquired ‘hobbies.’ The first one was filled with data and information on the new diving gear he had decided to buy out. 

After several test runs with his new gear, he couldn’t help but think that they could be improved on. He had contacted the manufactures but discovered that work on the devices had been discontinued due to a lack of funding. So, he had requested the design and data on the premise that, if he was pleased with it, he would find the project. 

Well, that led to calling in several professionals to assess and evaluate the potential success of said gear with enough funding. Their conclusion was that, although certainly advanced for the times, the device held a lot of potential with the proper development and research.

So, rather than offer to fund the research, he made a bid to buy the whole shebang, which was accepted, and now he was the current owner of RevoGear. He had hired the best to oversee and develope the project and received regular updates on their progress. 

Though the deal had been for the breathing device specifically, he had bought up the rights to the new face mask as well, which was also in its experimental stages, and also initiated several new projects for advanced diving gear. 

He set aside the RevoGear folder, satisfied with what he had read, and picked up the next one. This one had “Grey Pilgrim” scrawled over the front of it and was accumulation of info on said namesake. 

Unfortunately, he had not been able to make very much progress on finding the Grey Pilgrim. Oh, he had found several leads, but they seemed to come to mysterious dead ends. After having no success, he had decided to hire a professional: a Mr. Nori Ri, brother to both Dori and Ori Ri, as he was told. 

Ori had referred him through Dwalin one day when Thorin had been complaining about not being able to find someone. Now that Dwalin and Ori both knew his secret, they seemed to be coming by to see him more often and Ori would often shyly ask after Bilbo when Dwalin was busy with something.

Nori was like a cross between a private investigator and an informant. He could find out just about anything about anyone, partly because he wasn’t afraid to venture into the darkest and dirtiest of places (both morally and physically speaking).

Over this past month, he had let Nori do his thing and was rewarded with the folder currently in his hands. Most of the information associated with the Grey Pilgrim seemed to be largely myth or legend. There was a weird bit about a wizard and another piece about a wielder of moon magic, which, if Thorin wasn’t married to a sea-person, he would probably scoff at and throw in the trash. 

It seemed like Nori was on the right track, but, at this point, he didn’t care as much about ‘who’ and Grey Pilgrim was as he did about ‘where’ to find him. He could always ask those kind of questions after he found him. In the back of the folder, there was a note saying that Nori had found a lead and hoped to have results by the time Thorin returned to work from his vacation. 

Finally, Thorin picked up the final folder, currently his favorite. It was really little more than an idea folder at this point, but they were ideas on ways to bring his and Bilbo’s worlds closer together. Just as he was working on ways to enjoy more of Bilbo’s world, he also wanted to find ways from Bilbo to be more a part of his world. 

He had brainstormed several ideas already, such as: carving canals throughout the island or building a overwater bungalow in the cove. He was also concerned about Bilbo’s safety. Knowing that Bilbo was all alone in the cove and that, if something happened to him, it could be weeks before he found out about it was a constant source of anxiety for Thorin. He also wanted to find ways to make the cove safer for him. 

He set down the final folder as his jet landed. He collected his bags, being careful not to forget Bilbo’s gifts, and headed out for the island. 

_~~~~~_

Thorin collapsed back into bed the morning after the second night of the full moon. He had just escorted Bilbo back to the water after a very busy night and hoped to get at least a few hours of sleep before meeting up with him again later. 

He had only been asleep for a matter of minutes when the curtains around his bed were violently thrown open to allow the bright morning sun to flood his sanctuary. He groaned darkly, wondering if the island had any secret places suitable for hiding a body.

“Wakey, wakey, sleepy head!” Dis greeted much too loudly. 

“Dis.” He growled.

“Huh? You’re alone. I was sure . . “ she mumbled to herself. “Oh well.” She shrugged. “Time to get up. Your nephews have been harassing me relentlessly.”

He groaned again, turning away from the the sun and burrying his head under a pillow. 

“Come on! Since when have you not been a morning person? You act like you haven’t just slept all night.” She playfully hit him with another pillow. “If you don’t get up, I’m going to let your nephews in.”

He growled at the threat but pushed himself up and threw a pillow at her, making her yelp indignantly when it hit her smack in the face. He huffed, it was a small satisfaction. 

He rubbed his face as he headed for his bathroom. Thank goodness she wasn’t even half an hour earlier or she would have found Bilbo. An hour earlier and she would have found them in a ‘compromised’ position, which, he had a feeling, was what she was aiming for.

He took a cold shower to wake up, but was already planning to escape to his boat as soon as possible. Before he even made it to the kitchen, he was bombarded by his nephews.

“How’s Bilbo?” “Can we see him?!” They tried to whisper as he bent down to hug them.

“Shhh. Later.” He promised before sending them off to play for a while. Even if they went out to the boat now, Bilbo wouldn’t be awake yet.

He grabbed some breakfast and headed out to the patio where Dis and Vince were sitting. “Vince.” He greeted as he sat down.

“Thorin!” Vince greeted cheerfully. “I see you’ve really taken a liking to this place. Good for you.”

“It’s grown on me.” 

Dis scoffed. “More like you’ve become attached to it. I hear you spend more time here than at work.”

“I wish.” Thorin mumbled.

Dis eyed him suspiciously. “I have to admit, I was somewhat expecting to find you with company this morning.”

“I figured.” He glared at her, still miffed about the rude awakening.

“So, really, if you’re not meeting someone, what do you do here for a whole week every month. Don’t you get bored?”

Thorin chuckled to himself. Being here was anything but boring. It was a whole lot better than being there. “Not really. I go out to the boat.”

“And then what?” She asked baffled.

“Whatever I want. That’s the beauty of vacation.”

“Mhmm.” She wasn’t convinced. “So, what’s his name?”

Thorin choked on his sausage. “Whose?” 

“Your lover’s, of course. When do you meet him?”

Thorin stared at her, trying to figure out if Dwalin had slipped or if she was just bluffing. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Of course not.” She rolled her eyes. “You just spend a quarter of every month on the island alone, doing nothing.”

“What difference does it make? I’m taking time off like you wanted. If I don’t take time off, I’m a workaholic, and, if I do, I have a secret lover. I just can’t win with you.”

“He has a point.” Vince supported, earning him a glare from his wife.

”Besides, this is a private island. Where would I even find a secret lover? It’s not like burried treasure, I can’t just go dig one up.” He challenged.

Dis narrowed her eyes at him suspiciously. “Yes, well, forgive me for being skeptical of your drastic life changes.”

“I’ll forgive you when you stop harassing me about it.” 

She just scoffed, clearly not intending to do any such thing.

He sat and chatted with Vince for quite a while, downing several cups of coffee to help keep himself awake, until lunchtime started to come around. The boys were back and begging to head out to the boat and Thorin figured he had stuck around for long enough.

“We’ll come as well.” Dis announced after Thorin had agreed to take the boys out.

“What? Why?” Kili awhined in disappointment.

“I thought you didn’t even like the boat that much.” Fili accused, also not wanting his parents to interfere with their time with Bilbo. 

“What? So your dad and I can just sit here alone the rest of the day. I don’t think so. If you like it so much, there must be something about it worth the trip.” She countered, not about to let them out of her sight. 

“It’s alright.” Thorin reassured his nephews, cutting off their protests. He wasn’t thrilled about it, but, thanks to his new gear, he could still go to Bilbo.

They all drove out to the boat and the first thing Thorin did was pull out his diving gear.

“You’re going swimming? Do you do that a lot now?” Dis asked searchingly.

“I do quite often.”

“What is that? Is that diving gear? When did you get that?” She practically monitored his every move.

“I got tired of the bulky gear and wanted something more convenient. Are you going to follow me around and ask me questions about everything or are you going to join me?” He asked hoping she would refuse.

“I just got my hair done.” She answered.

He rolled his eyes, at least he wouldn’t have to share the water with her too. Vince also turned down the invitation, choosing to keep his wife company. The boys stood by and watched confused and disappointed. 

“Go down to the viewing room. I’ll see you down there.” He hinted with a wink before he headed to the diving deck. 

The boys shared a wide eyed glance before dashing downstairs. 

Thorin checked his mask and tank one more time before jumping in. What he was planning was risky, with Dis and Vince on the boat, but he promised the boys they would get to see Bilbo, and he wasn’t about to go all day without seeing him himself. 

Thorin waved at his nephews as he swam by, heading for one of Bilbo’s favorite hiding/sleeping spots. When he got to the particular coral mound, he pulled himself down so he could peer into the recess. 

Bilbo stared back at him with a mixture of curiosity, confusion, and concern. Thorin couldn’t help but smile at him.

“Come on. _Our_ nephews want to see you.”

”But . .the others . . “

“Are lounging on the deck. We’ll just have to be careful. You don’t have to if you don’t want to, though.” He reassured. 

Bilbo stared at him in thought as he chewed his lip, before breaking out into a mischievous smile. He eased out of his hiding place, grabbing a hold of Thorin as he did, and swam up and towards the viewing room, pulling Thorin along behind him. 

He swam up to the glass, letting Thorin go just before reaching it, and greeted the excited boys. They were both grinning widely and Kili was jumping up and down in his excitement. 

Bilbo laughed and swam circles around his husband in his own excitement at seeing the boys. Even Thorin couldn’t help but be affected by it all and wore a wide grin himself. Bilbo’s frolicking quickly turned into a game of playful keep away, much to their nephews’ amusement. 

~Fili~

Fili and Kili happily sat and watched the spectacle their uncle was making with the sea-man. 

“That looks sooo fun! Oh, I wish Mom would let us go swimming in the cove! I want to swim with Bilbo too!” Kili whined.

Fili watched with a overly critical eye for his age. Sometimes he would notice touches pass between his uncle and Bilbo that seemed a bit more than friendly. And then there were the totally not subtle touches like right now where Bilbo’s long tail was practically wrapped around his uncle. And his uncle didn’t act like anything was strange or out of place. It seemed . . natural . . for both of them, to be so close.

“Maybe she’ll let us after she meets Bilbo and finds out he’s a sea-person.” He commented hopefully. There was no way his uncle could keep this hidden that much longer.

Kili looked at him, his hope warring with fear. “We can’t tell her.”

“I know, but Uncle will . . when Bilbo’s ready.”

“I hope it’s soon.” Kili sighed, dreaming of when he could swim with Bilbo.

“Hope what’s soon?” 

Both boys spun around and froze at the voice, staring up into the eyes of their dad.

He tilted his head in confusion at their reaction before the glimmering of scales caught his attention behind them.

Fili looked back, hoping he wasn’t seeing what he thought he was seeing. He was. Bilbo stared frozen from over Thorin’s shoulder, his arms wrapped around his uncle’s shoulders and hands splayed over his chest. His tail was still loosely wrapped around him and his eyes were wide in apprehension.

Fili turned back to his dad, trying to gauge his reaction, but his dad was just standing there, his mouth parted slightly in awe.

“You can’t tell mom!” Kili suddenly piped up, breaking his father’s concentration. 

Vince looked at his boys and raised his brows before turning back to the sight before him. 

Bilbo was hunched down now, almost hiding behind Thorin and peering over his shoulder shyly. Thorin’s left arm was wrapped around Bilbo’s tail as it curled around him while he stroked it reassuringly with the other.

Thorin locked gazes with the boys’ father, sending him a challenging glare. Vince’s brows rose even higher in response and his lips quirked in a smirk. Finally, he broke the stare and addressed his boys. “I’ll let your mom know you aren’t hungry yet.” He turned and headed back to the stairs. 

Kili dashed forward and grabbed his dad by the shirt. “Wait! Don’t tell mom! Please!”

Vince looked down at his youngest in confusion. “Tell her about what?”

Now Kili looked confused. “About . . Bilbo?” 

“Oh, I don’t think your mom is particularly interested in every little fish you make friends with.” He ruffled Kili’s dark hair with a wink. 

Kili was still confused, but Fili had caught on. “Thanks, Dad.”

Vince just smiled and sent him a conspiratorial wink. He sent one more glance and smirk at Thorin before he disappeared up the stairs.

“He won’t tell her, Kili.” Fili reassured when Kili still looked concerned. 

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah, Dad’s cool like that.”

_~Thorin~_

Thorin soothed Bilbo as best he could before sending him back into hiding and swimming up to the deck. His nephews were there waiting for him by the time he climbed up to the main deck.

“He won’t tell.” Fili quietly informed his uncle. 

Thorin just nodded before heading to his room for a shower and change. The rest of the day passed quietly. Vince didn’t even so much as look at him funny, acting as if nothing had happened. 

Later that evening Thorin found him alone at the bar near the east side of the house, Dis busy with the boys. He sat down next to him. “If you have something to say, say it.”

“Where do I even start?” Vince pushed out through a breathless laugh. He turned and regarded Thorin. “As rediculous as it sounds, he’s your lover, isn’t he?”

Thorin contemplated just how much he should reveal. 

“There’s no way that . . ‘embrace’ was platonic.” Vince clarified since Thorin hadn’t answered. 

Thorin decided, if there was anyone he could trust with this, it would be Vince. “He's my husband.” He felt a giddiness in his chest at the admission. He had never been able to tell anyone . . anything, really, and the sensation was both worrying and freeing. 

Vince stared at him, not accusing or skeptical, just contemplative. “How does that work exactly?”

“He can switch his tail for legs during the full moon, something about moon magic.” Thorin murmured into his drink. 

“Ah. . . . He’s why you’ve been spending so much time here . . and investing in new diving gear.” Vince concluded, rubbing a hand down his short beard. “How did you meet him? _When_ did you meet him?” 

“I found him the day Frerin, Dis and I went diving. Built up from there. Just couldn’t get enough of him.” He confessed with another sip of his drink. He didn’t realize how much he needed to talk about all this and was already feeling lighter. “He’s the last one, as far as he knows. He was all alone.”

Vince nodded in silent understanding. “Is that why you ‘married’ him?”

“Mahal, no. Sea-people only mate once and they mate for life, losing their mate kills them. I wouldn’t risk his life just to keep him company. I chose him because . . because I’ve never felt more complete than when I’m with him . . and because I feel torn and empty when I’m not.”

Vince nodded again but he was smirking now. “Dis is gonna kill you.” He said with a small laugh.

Thorin sighed and ran a hand over his face. “I know.”

“Not only have you kept this from her and refused to fess up, you got married without her knowing. She is so gonna kill you when she finds out.” Despite his words his smile was bright and full of mirth. 

“I know.” Thorin groaned, already dreading the day she found out.

Vince chuckled and plopped a hand on Thorin’s shoulder. “I’m happy for you. Though, when most people find someone ‘special,’ the term isn’t usually used quite so literally. But, you always did have to over achieve in everything, huh?”

Thorin just scoffed in response. 

“Speaking of which,” Vince gave the moon a significant look. “isn’t tonight a full moon? You should probably get going.”

“Yes, it is.” Thorin replied with a growing smirk. “I’ll be out on the boat. . . Don’t let Dis come looking for me before sunrise.” He stood up, prepairing to leave.

Vince chuckled but agreed. 

Thorin sneaked out to the dock and headed for the boat. More and more of his family kept finding out about his ‘secret lover.’ He figured he was going to have to reveal him soon or the consequences would be dire. Mahal forbid Dis be the last to find out. She would never forgive him.

It was just as well, though. He wanted Bilbo to have the support of his whole family. And, once they knew about him, he wouldn’t have to be so secretive anymore. Of course, he wasn't quite sure how to break the whole sea-person thing to them, but he figured just introducing him in his human form would be a start.

Regardless, he needed to do something. Bilbo was already warming up to meeting knew people. Thorin was sure he could convince him to meet them soon. 


	22. Dr. Grey

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy November everyone! I've been really busy so I'll be posting all this week's chapters at once. Enjoy!
> 
> This month's Sneak Peak Chapter is for a new future work called "Creatures of the Night." Check it out [here](https://archiveofourown.org/works/13921119/chapters/35911077). Summary below. Let me know what you think. ;)
> 
> Creatures of the Night
> 
> Bilbo stays in his tower, alone and so hidden away that even most of his own coven don’t know he’s there, condemned to live out his days in solitary confinement for no other reason than that he exists. He yearns for freedom, for the world outside his small window and for something else that seems to tug at his very soul. Resigned to his fate, he consoles himself with dreams of freedom and flight, until one day he is found by the most unlikely trespassers. Jumping at the offer of freedom, he faces his fears and the unknown as he ventures out to discover the world outside his window and maybe a place he finally belongs in the process.
> 
> Bilbo/Thorin, ShifterAU, A/B/O Dynamics

Thorin marched into his office for the first time after returning from his vacation only to stop short upon seeing that someone was already sitting in his chair. He glared at the grinning PI. “What are you doing?”

“Just seein’ what it’s like to sit at the top.”

“Get out of my chair.” Thorin growled menacingly as he stalked toward his desk. 

Nori wasted no time popping out of said chair and shuffling around the desk as Thorin came around. 

“If you’re here, you must have something for me.”

“Oh, I have somethin’. Not sure if it’s what you were lookin’ for, though.” Nori tossed a folder onto his desk. 

“Tell me.” He ordered as he began scanning through the folder.

“Well, after followin’ several dead ends, I managed to find a lead that actually led me to a living breathing human. His name’s Dr. Grey. He’s a college professor and teaches historical culture classes with an emphasis on legend and lore.” 

“How did you connect him to the ‘Grey Pilgrim?’”

“The Grey Pilgrim was a writer’s pseudonym used to publish a series of articles, like forever ago, about legends involving the sea, particularly about ‘sea’-peoples like mermaids and sirens and such. After _a lot_ of digging, I was able to link the articles to Dr. Grey.”

Thorin rubbed at his beard. It definitely sounded like they found the right guy. “And you found his location?”

Nori nodded. “He’s currently teaching at a university in California. His contact details are in the folder.” 

Thorin scanned the info before closing the folder. “Good work. I’ll have Balin arrange your payment. I’ll be in contact again if should I need your services.”

“Sure. Pleasure working for ya.” Nori mock bowed before ducking through the door. 

Later, during a short break, Thorin leaned back into his chair as he eyed the folded in thought. He knew the questions he had were better asked in person, but he didn’t know if he should contact the doctor ahead of time to request an appointment. 

To do that though, he would have to make an excuse for the meeting and he couldn’t think of anything convincing that would necessitate meeting with the professor. Besides, he wasn’t sure he wanted to give the man a heads up. It might be best to to check him out before initiating contact.

After some more digging, he managed to find out exactly when and where the doctor’s classes were and made plans to sit in on one of his lectures before approaching him. Unfortunately, he wasn’t able to make the time amidst his usual work until almost two weeks later.

After booking a room at the nearest five star hotel and packing up his most recent work and laptop, he flew out to California. He still had a lot of work to do in order to free up his monthly vacation time, so he was going to have to continue working through his trip. 

The day after arriving he walked into Dr. Grey’s classroom, just as he was bringing his lecture to a close. Thorin had actually intended to catch more of it, but, between his own work and finding the place, he had been a bit delayed. He sneaked in quietly and took a seat at the back. 

The professor was reminding his class of some upcoming projects due and Thorin took the opportunity to observe the man. There was nothing particularly outstanding about the guy. He was tall with neatly trimmed gray hair and just slightly bushy beard and mustache and wore a pair of gray slacks an a gray knit vest over a white dress shirt. He looked like any regular older doctor/professor. Nothing about him seemed to scream ‘sea-person expert.’

He sat and waited as the class came to a close and the students filed out in search of their next destinations. After all but a few straggling students had left, he stood up and started casually walking down the isle. 

The older professor was packing up his papers and laptop when he noticed Thorin approaching. “And what can I have the pleasure of doing for you, sir?” The old man asked good-naturedly as he continued to pack up his things. 

“Are you Dr. Grey?” 

“The very one. And who might you be?”

“Thorin Durin.”

The old man raised a brow and regarded him with a look that Thorin couldn’t quiet place. “And to what do I owe this pleasure.”

“I understand you’re the expert when it comes to . . ‘Sea-peoples.’” Thorin tested. 

“Yes. There are many cultures both past and present that possess myths and legends about sea-dwelling people.” Dr. Grey responded unfazed. “I hardly see how this is relevant to a business tycoon such as yourself, unless of course, you’ve managed to find one.” The old man ended with a chuckle though the look in his eyes was far more calculating. 

“And what if I did?” Thorin studied the man’s reaction. 

Dr. Grey eyed him suspiciously. “Then I would have to assure you that there no such things as merpeople or any other creature you may think you have found.”

“Of course not. They hate being called that.” 

The professors eyebrows both shot up at the comment and he regard Thorin again, more curiously this time. “Why are you really here? It must be quite important to bring such a busy business man all the way here and away from his work.”

Well, technically, Thorin had brought his work with him, but he didn't figure it was relative to mention. “I was advised to seek you out in the case of a . . particular situation.” He hinted, having a feeling the old man would know what he meant.

The old man’s brows rose again and nodded slowly. “Perhaps this is a conversation better held elsewhere. There is a bar nearby, called the Prancing Pony. Meet me there at seven and I will hear about your . . situation.”

Thorin nodded, agreeing that this probably wasn’t the best place to be having this discussion. He wanted as few eavesdropping ears as possible. “I’ll see you there.”

It was still only late morning, so Thorin went back to his room to get some work done. He arrived at the bar fifteen minutes early, not wanting to somehow miss his meeting. He ordered a drink and pulled out his tablet, he could at least read some emails while he was waiting. 

Half an hour later, just when Thorin was beginning to think he’d been stood up, Dr. Grey finally arrived and took a seat at his table. Thorin glared at him, he didn’t like to be kept waiting. “You’re late.”

“Professors are never late. They arrive precisely when they mean to.”

Thorin continued to glare unimpressed. The man was full of it. “Are you going to help me or not?”

“That, Mr. Durin, depends entirely on you.”

“What do you want?” He leaned onto the table on the table in resignation. There was little he wouldn’t give for this, but the man had better not be messing with him.

Dr. grey chuckled at the distrusting look and took a sip of his own drink. “Tell me about this ‘situation’ of yours.” He set his drink back down.

Thorin leaned back again and rubbed a hand over his beard in consideration. How much should he tell? If this man already knew about sea-people it should be safe to tell him. But Thorin wasn’t about to risk Bilbo’s safety in any way. “I met a sea-person.” He began, decided to leave out any details that could be used to find his husband’s location.

“Met or found?”

“Both. We have a relationship.” He answered vaguely. 

“And is this ‘relationship’ reciprocated?”

“Obviously.” Thorin scrunched his brows, confused by the direction of the conversation. 

“And what do you hope to gain by this “relationship?’”

Thorin leaned back over the table, suddenly unsure that they were actually on the same page. “What?”

“I should warn you. What I can offer will either greatly help or hinder you depending on your intentions and other factors.” The old man warned. 

Thorin glared at him. Did he think he came to learn of ways to exploit a nearly extinct race? “My intentions are noble.”

“So was the last fellow’s. But, seeing as you’re here, he must have failed.” Dr. Grey shrugged.

“What? When was this?”

“Oh, it must have been several decades ago now. Poor fellow was smitten with a sea-maiden. The last sea-maiden, I might mention. If he failed, what makes you think you will be any more successful?”

Thorin’s brows furrowed as he tried to piece together the implications of what he was hearing. “He’s not a maiden.” He revealed distractedly.

“Pardon? That doesn’t make any sense. She was the last . . unless.” He chuckled. “Perhaps the fellow wasn’t a failure.”

Thorin ran a hand through his hair, barely believing the picture his own brain was piecing together. “Wait. Are you saying that . . that Bilbo’s father was . . human.”

The old man petted his beard in consideration. “Bilbo, is it? Much like his father’s name.”

“Are you or aren’t you?!” Thorin slammed his hand on the table, impatient with the old man’s dawdling.

Dr. Grey looked at him reproachfully. “Belladonna was the last of the sea-peoples. If she had a son, then her suitor must have been successful.” His eyes narrowed at Thorin in suspicion. “But if you knew them, then you should know this.” 

“Bilbo’s alone. His parents passed before I met him.” He revealed quietly.

“I see.” The old man sighed with a resigned sorrow. “Then the boy will be the last.” 

Thorin was confused again. “But you said his father was human. Surely that means he can reproduce with a human as well.” Thorin felt a strange surge of excitement laced with concern jolt through him at the admission. So they could have children, but Thorin wasn’t there enough to support him.

“It is extremely rare for women to pursue a sea-man. It is almost always a man who falls in love with a sea-maiden.”

Thorin nodded in acceptance. He could relate. “Well, that’s why I’m here.”

Dr. Grey’s brows scrunched in confusion. “But Bilbo is male.” The same time he said this a strange gleam seemed to grow in his eye, perhaps of hope.

“Mostly.” Thorin admitted quietly. “He’s also a bearer.” He mumbled, not sure why he was hesitant to reveal the fact. 

Dr. Grey leaned over the table with an almost awestruck smile. “A sea-fea?”

“A what?”

Dr. Grey straitened back up and looked like he was about to give a lecture . . . which he did. “A long, long time ago, there were several races of sea-people, each with their own characteristics and cultures. But there was one race that stood out from the rest for their . . qualities.”

“They were the smallest of the races, often called the Gardeners of the Sea. They were shallow dwellers, choosing to live in and around great coral reefs. According to legend, some of their earliest ancestors were actually sea-fae, or spirits of the sea, which gave some of their individuals unique characteristics.”

“As a whole, their race was very prolific, but those with the strongest fae blood displayed their ancestry in both appearance and their gender . . flexibility. You see the fae blood gives them the ability to manifest as either gender, depending on who their Chosen is. Over time, the term ‘sea-fae’ simply came to refer to those who exhibited fae characteristics.”

“If your Bilbo is a male bearer, he must have strong fae blood in him. The only question that remains is ‘are you his chosen?’” The old man regarded Thorin seriously.

“I am.” Thorin answered without hesitation.

“How do you know?” 

Thorin scoffed. As if he wouldn’t be sure. “He performed the courtship ritual with me. He told me and I accepted. And, yes, I know the risks he took by doing what he did.” He resisted the urge to roll his eyes. He doubted he’d be here doing this in the first place if all that wasn’t true. How else would he even know about the old man?

“Indeed?” Dr. Grey raised his brows in pleasant surprise. “You must have made quite the impact on him.”

“The effect was mutual.” He mumbled lowly, not really intending for the old man to hear. He must have though if his smirk was any indication. 

“And now you wish to progress your ‘relationship.’” Dr. Grey concluded.

Thorin leaned back, pacified by all the answers he was getting. “Not really. We’re already married, or mated. Apparently his mother told him to seek out the Grey Pilgrim should he ever fall in love with a human. So, here I am.”

The old man stared at him in stunned disbelief. “Already married?! But your human?”

“His father was human.” Thorin rebutted, confused by the reaction. 

Dr. Grey spluttered. “Yes, but he embraced the sea so he could be with his love.”

Thorin was even more confused. “What’s that supposed to mean?” Wait. If Bilbo didn’t know his father was human, that meant that his father had to have been, in all appearances, a sea-person. “Wait. Is it possible for a human to become a sea-person?” He leaned low over the table as if he was inquiring of some big secret.

The old man squirmed in his chair. “It is possible for those of . . certain bloodlines to . . embrace the magic of the sea . with my help.”

“So, Bilbo’s dad was a human, from one of these bloodlines, who fell in love with a sea-maiden. He came to you and you helped him turn into a sea person so he could mate his love, which resulted in Bilbo.” Thorin didn’t really ask as much as sum up. 

“Yes and no. The help I can give will only work during the full moon phase. If he was able to make the change permanent, that was his own doing.”

“Is it necessary?” He and Bilbo had been managing fine so far despite the circumstances. It wasn’t ideal, but he saw no reason why they couldn’t continue as they were.

“Well,” The old man looked a bit confused himself. “To be completely honest, I’m not entirely sure. I have never heard of a . . true mating between a human and sea-person. One has always joined the other so that they could be together. I can say it isn’t ideal. In fact, it is quite unfortunate. As his lifespan is far longer than yours, you will grow old and die while he remains young, yet he will follow you in death. Even if you are able to have young, they will be left orphans just as he was.”

Thorin rubbed his face, anxious at just the the thought of leaving his husband heartbroken, even if it was by no fault of his own. “And will whatever it is you can do . . will it fix that?”

“By embracing the sea and moon’s power, it will prolong your lifespan, though not to the extent of a true sea-person and only as long as you are regularly exposed to the magic.”

Thorin nodded. Then accepting whatever help the old man could give was worth it, even if only to have more time with Bilbo. “Well, do I pass your test? Will you help me?”

“It isn’t my test you must pass.” The old man sighed. “I merely confirmed your intentions. It is the sea’s test you must pass.”

“And what does that entail?”

“It’s very simple really. In fact, you don’t have to do anything, but answer a single question. However, I warn you. If you’re wrong and you accept my help regardless, there will be dire consequences.” Dr. Grey’s eyes bore into him, pressing the seriousness of the situation.

“And what is the question?” 

The old professor leaned over the table toward Thorin as if he was sharing a secret. “Does the sea call to you?”

Thorin’s brows scrunched in confusion. What did that even mean? He wasn’t doing this for the sea or even for himself. He wanted this for Bilbo.

“I can make you a elixir that, when taken in the light of the full moon, will bestow upon you the ability to take sea-person form under it's light, just as they can take human form during that time. But you must be sure. For, if you take it and the sea has not called to you, the sea will reject you and drag you to its depths and your grave. Even should you escape you will never be welcomed in her waters again, and she will seek to drown you at every opportunity.” Dr. Grey finished gravely.

Thorin stared at the old man, taking in the fullness of what he’d revealed. He couldn't help but get the impression by the look in the professor’s old eyes that many had failed the test and been dragged to their deaths in the ocean’s depths.

“How would I know if it did?” He asked taking the threat seriously. 

“Only you can answer that. The call takes many forms. To some it might be a wanderlust, while to others it is like a yearning of a lost love. The call is different for everyone who feels it. But you must be certain. It would be better for you to not take the elixir at all then to take it and be wrong.” 

Thorin thought in silence as he tried to figure out if he ever felt anything that he could describe as a call from the sea, but came up blank.

“I would suggest that you return home and take some time to think about it. Be certain. For Bilbo’s sake, I would hate for you to be wrong. If or when you are sure, you may return here and I will grant you the elixir.”

Thorin nodded, but felt a little peeved at the mention of Bilbo. “You’ve never even met him. What do you care for his sake? If you cared about him, shouldn’t you have sought him out?”

The old man’s eyes softened. “I knew his mother and his grandfather quite well. Alas, I lost track of Belladonna shortly after Bilbo’s future father, at the time, came to me for the elixir. I was unable to relocate her.” 

Thorin stared at the man who seemed to be genuinely fond of the sea-people family. “She passed away . . when Bilbo as still young.” He revealed. “Perhaps that’s why you couldn’t find her.”

Dr. Grey’s eyes turned sad. “I see.”

“She was killed by sharks.” Thorin answered the unvoiced question.

“And his father?”

“ . . He faded.”

“Faded?” The old man murmured. “That doesn’t sound right.”

“Bilbo said the sea-people fade and die when they lose their mates.” Perhaps Bilbo was wrong.

“He is correct. But I have never heard of a human turned sea-person to ever succumb to the fading.” Dr. Grey’s brows scrunched in thought. 

“Perhaps his love was simply that strong.” 

“Perhaps.” The professor hummed. “I would ask that you spare Bilbo the same fate and be sure before you return for the elixir.” He returned to the topic at hand.

Thorin eyed him but nodded. There was no reason to go rushing into anything. He was still able to love and enjoy his husband as things were. He didn’t want to recklessly risk what they had without knowing for sure they could have better. “I’ll be in contact.” 

The old man nodded and Thorin paid his tab and gathered his things before heading back to his hotel. The next morning he was flying back with a few days to spare before he would be heading to the island for his monthly vacation.

He replayed everything he had learned in his head. Like the man said, he wanted to be sure. Bilbo deserved more and Thorin wanted to give it to him. He would have a lot to think about this trip.


	23. A Ring

Thorin lay on his makeshift bed of pillows and cushions, shirt unbuttoned and open with his sea-man husband resting his head on his chest while his fingers traced lazy patterns across his chest and abdomen. 

Thorin stared up into the soft blue, cloudless sky distractedly as he absently rubbed his fingers over the surprisingly smooth texture of Bilbo’s beautiful scales. Their full moon nights were over for this month, so they spent their time, simply enjoying and soaking up one another’s company. 

He had told Bilbo of everything he had learned from his visit with Dr. Grey, including the risk involved in pursuing more. This decision effected Bilbo even more so than himself in some ways, so he deserved to be fully informed on the matter. 

Unfortunately, there wasn’t much Bilbo could do to help as Thorin tried to figure what this call was and if he felt it. He had admitted, though, that he would rather have what little time he had with Thorin as they were now rather than for Thorin to lose the ability to share in the ocean with him at all. 

Thorin had already guessed as much, but if there was any way he could make this work, he was going to take it. He wanted this for Bilbo. So, he often found himself lost in thought at times like this when they weren’t really actively doing anything. After all, he couldn’t say for sure the sea _hadn’t_ called to him. He just needed to figure out what it would feel like if it did.

He startled out of his thoughts with a grunt as nimble fingers and deft tongue traveled down his abs with a purpose, already teasing under the brim of his shorts. He hadn’t even noticed that Bilbo had moved (which was saying a lot since he wasn’t exactly graceful on land) And had been slowly making his way south on Thorin’s person. 

His gaze met big sea-green eyes as he propped himself up on one elbow, nimble fingers already exposing his rapidly hardening length. Bilbo didn’t so much as blink, keeping his gaze locked with Thorin’s as he stuck his tongue out and sucked Thorin’s tip into his mouth. He had Thorin’s undivided attention. 

Thorin cursed under his breath as Bilbo gradually sucked more of him down, working at an agonizingly slow pace. Thorin let out a deep groan from the patient and thorough ministrations of his husband’s mouth and tongue as he finally sucked him in as far as he could go. 

Still Bilbo’s eyes never left his. Thorin cursed again as Bilbo started to slowly bob up and down his length with a gentle suck or twirl of his tongue every time. He reached out and ran his fingers through Bilbo’s bouncy curls, desperate to touch his love. He body was tense with need as it desperately sought out release. He wanted to lay back, but he couldn’t stand to take his eyes off his husband.

“Mahal, Bilbo, you’re such a tease.” He ground out when it became painfully clear that Bilbo as going to draw this out as long as possible. Despite the stretch of his lips, Bilbo smirked playfully, eliciting a growl from his husband. 

Just when he didn’t think he could take it any longer, Bilbo sucked him down as deep as he could and swallowed around the head of his length. Thorin fell back into the cushions and fisted a pillow with white knuckles as he groaned a deep rumble through his release. 

By the time his senses had drifted back down to earth, Bilbo had gently tucked him back into his shorts and was resting his head on Thorin's hip, watching him with a small smile and adoring eyes. 

“That was amazing.” He rasped in a husky, satisfied voice as he ran his fingers through Bilbo’s curls again, too boneless to prop himself up. Bilbo’s grin widened and he started scooting himself back up next to Thorin. 

Thorin helped pull him along as much as he could until Bilbo was, once again, resting over his chest. 

“Are you worried?” Bilbo’s grin faltered a bit at the question.

Thorin gazed into the concerned eyes of his husband as he rested his chin on his hands. “No, I’m not worried. I’m just trying to figure out his whole ‘call of the sea’ thing.” 

Bilbo nodded. “You don’t have to, you know. I’m already happy. Just being able to be with you, even like this, makes me happy.”

Thorin smiled softly at the admission. “I know. But, if I can give you more, I will. I promise I won’t risk what we have. If I can’t be sure, I won’t take the elixir.” 

Bilbo nodded, seemingly pacified by the promise.

Thorin studied his love. There was still a tenseness about him and he realized what the problem was. Mostly recovered, Thorin pushed himself up and started to roll them over. Though confused at first, Bilbo flicked his tail to assist when he realized what Thorin was doing, effectively rolling himself into his back.

Thorin wasted no time and began peppering his husband with sucking kisses. “I’m sorry I haven’t been very attentive.” The admission making him feel a bit guilty. “Allow me to make up for it.”

Bilbo’s breath hitched when Thorin’s teeth grazed over a nipple. His own erection already standing firm and needy. “Y-you don’t have to.” Bilbo protested breathlessly. “I-I was just . .”

“I know.” Thorin smiled into his lover’s skin. Bilbo was just trying to give him a distraction from his heavy thoughts, not expecting anything in return.

Bilbo happily surrendered to his lover’s questing mouth and hands as Thorin continued working his way down. He gasped as Thorin took his length in hand and teasingly massaged it’s head with his thumb. 

Thorin took his time exploring. It wasn’t often that he had Bilbo laid out before him in his sea-person form. He wanted to know this body as well as he knew his human one. He traced along Bilbo’s scales and fins, massaging his length just enough to keep him begging for more. 

When Bilbo moaned his name in desperation, Thorin finally turned to give his throbbing length some more attention. As he did, he noticed a slit, just a little ways under his length, that had swollen noticeably. 

He regarded it curiously wondering if it was what he thought it was. Deciding now was the best time to find out, he rubbed his thumb over the swollen opening. Bilbo gasped and pushed up into his touch. Taking that as a good sign, Thorin gently began to work his thumb into the opening, all the while maintained a slow, gentle stroke on Bilbo’s length. 

Bilbo whined and squirmed as Thorin wedged his thumb in as far as it would go. Well, it was definitely what he thought it was. Bilbo whimpered in disappointment as Thorin pulled out his thumb, but was quickly pacified when Thorin replaced it with two fingers. 

He gently worked his fingers into the tight channel, doing his best to follow the natural curve of it. He marveled as Bilbo seem to clamp even tighter around his fingers once they were fully in. “Mahal, you’re so tight.” He started gently pumping his fingers in and out. 

Bilbo moaned and arched into his touch, begging for more with a whine. Thorin added another finger, gently forcing it in against the tight squeeze of Bilbo’s channel. 

Bilbo whimpered as he arched again and the tightness around Thorin’s hand seemed to readjust for the larger intrusion. Thorin started out with slow experimental thrusts, increasing his speed and force when he was sure Bilbo wasn’t discomforted by it.

Bilbo started to thrash and arch in a twisted sort of angle as Thorin continued his ministrations. If Thorin didn’t know his husband so well, he would think he was resisting, but he did, so he threw a leg over his lover’s tail and sat on him to hold him down so he’s wouldn’t end up hurting him.

It still wasn’t quite enough to still his love so he braced his free hand on Bilbo’s chest, gently holding him down. With Bilbo more or less still, he redoubled his thrusting, adjusting he pressure and angle as he learned his lover’s sensitive spots.

Bilbo squealed after one such adjustment and fisted his hands in his hair for lack of anything else to hold on to, arching with such force, he nearly knocked Thorin off his tail. With just a few more thrusts into the same spot, Bilbo arched one last time with a voiceless scream and came all over himself and Thorin’s hand.

Thorin continued to pump his hand a few more times, milking his husband’s release for as long as possible. Bilbo finally collapsed in a boneless heap still oblivious to anything but the pleasure that was still jolting through him in spurts. Thorin chuckled as his husband’s fins twitched every few seconds and gently extracted his hand, triggering another twitchy shudder. 

He pulled his shirt off and used it as an impromptu cleaning rag, cleaning himself off in the water, before returning to clean up his husband. Just as he was finishing up, Bilbo’s eyes fluttered open and he moaned something that Thorin was sure wasn’t English. “Eru, That was . . beyond amazing.” He mumbled.

Thorin chuckled again, throwing his shirt aside, and leaned over his lover for a lazy kiss. Bilbo wrapped his arms around his neck weakly, returning the kiss enthusiastically.

“We should have tried that sooner.” Thorin rumbled after pulling over his cushions and getting comfortable next to husband.

“I-I didn’t know if you’d want to.” Bilbo confessed with a sheepish smile. 

Thorin leaned over, propped on his elbow, and nuzzled their noses together. “I love all of you, remember? I love this form no less than your other one. Of course I’d want to get to know it better.” He rumbled.

Bilbo smiled with a shy blush, but wrapped his arms around his husband and returned the affectionate nuzzle. Thorin settled down next to him and they rested in each other’s embrace. After several minutes of silence, Bilbo cleared his throat. 

“Th-there’s, um, something I want t-to give you.” Bilbo said shyly under Thorin’s expectant gaze.

“Oh?” Thorin’s curiosity was instantly piqued. 

“But, I-I have to go get it.”

“Okay.” Thorin nodded and Bilbo Flopped himself over to the edge of the deck before disappearing into the water. Thorin sat on the edge of the deck, wondering what kind of gift a sea-person would give. A few minutes later, Bilbo popped back up between his legs. 

He hesitated for a moment before he started explaining. “I-I know that I don’t really have much I can g-give you besides myself, b-but I really do love all the gifts you give me and I wanted to give you something and I remembered you said that h-human males give their mates rings to show they want them and that they’re together, so I-I just wanted to give you this.” Bilbo gushed out in a single breath before holding up his gift.

Thorin marveled at it in awe as he turned it over in his fingers. It was a smooth, natural looking material. Colored and patterned in a way that, Thorin was sure, could only be created by a seashell. It was a wider band, but perfectly smoothed around every edge. It was covered in tiny, beautifully detailed pictures of sea creatures and elements etched into its surface. 

When he finally pried his eyes away from the beautiful little piece of art in his hand, it was to the anxious and insecure eyes of his lover. He grinned wider than he ever remembered grinning before. “I love it.”

Bilbo’s anxiety seemed to wash away and was replaced by a nearly blinding smile. 

“It’s so intricate and beautiful. Did you make it?”

Bilbo nodded, all insecurity forgotten. “I-I’ve been working on it for a while, but the shells kept breaking on me and I’d have to start over. I wasn’t sure it was even going to work until I realized I was going to have to grind it down to the shape I wanted rather than chip it. And then I didn’t want it to be plain so it took some time to etch it.”

Thorin was still grinning when he slid the ring into his left ring finger. He never would have guessed how satisfying and thrilling it would be to have this physical proof of his and Bilbo’s union, even if no one else would understand it or know who it was from.

“It fits!” Bilbo declared triumphantly. “Thank Eru.”

“Perfectly.” Thorin chuckled before pulling his husband into a deep kiss.

“I will wear it always.” He assured when they finally parted. Bilbo smiled and pulled him into another, less heated and more affectionate kiss.

Thorin pulled Bilbo back up onto the deck and settled back into their lounging positions. Thorin rested on his cushions while Bilbo all but draped over him, resting on his chest. He couldn’t stop admiring his ring or the small smiles that would form while he did so. He had never expected such a gift, and especially not one so painstakingly made and prepared especially for him. 

He nuzzled into his husband’s hair as soft snores sounded over his chest. Suddenly the elixir didn’t seem all that important. Sure, the added perks would be useful and it would be brilliant to be able to be a part of Bilbo’s world, even if only for a few nights a month. But, this, this was not worth risking if there was any doubt in his mind that he might fail this ‘sea’s test.’ 

He would be perfectly happy to stay here with his husband, sharing as much of their worlds as they could for as long as they had. He would be content. He drifted off, at peace with whatever version of the future they would have.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One more chapter left guys. ;)


	24. Blessing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's the final chapter everyone! Thank you to everyone who has stuck with me to the end. I hope you enjoyed the ride! :D
> 
> This is now both the very first fanfic I've ever written and completed! Yay! XD
> 
> Make sure you read the end notes. ;)
> 
> This months Sneak Peek: [_The Voice of the Gods_](https://archiveofourown.org/works/13921119/chapters/35885850)  
>  Bilbo is an audio telepathic hypnotist, whatever that means. All he knows is that he can make people do things with just his voice, sometimes without even trying. Which is why 'singer' was probably not the best career choice. Yet here he is, currently one of the most popular pop idols and not simply because of his power (or so he would like to believe). He thought the hardest thing he would have to face was keeping the power out of his voice when he performed until, suddenly, he's on the run. Someone has found out about his gift and Bilbo doesn't want to know why they want it. Something is stirring in the shadows and Bilbo finds himself forming new alliances and reforging old ones he never thought would rise again.
> 
> Bilbo/Thorin, X-Men Fusion

Thorin sat at his private table bouncing his knee anxiously while he sipped at his drink. Everything had seemed perfect while at the island with his husband by his side, but, since returning to work, he’d been hounded by indecision and anxiety about figuring out what the ‘call of the sea’ was.

It was something he desperately wanted to be able to give to Bilbo, but at the same time he was terrified of losing what he had. He ran his hand through his hair. Was it even possible to be absolutely certain that the sea had called to him? Wasn’t it all just based on a feeling? A feeling that may or may not even be what he thought it was?

He sighed and paused in his brooding as Dwalin ambled over to his table with his own drink. The very fact that Dwalin had convinced him to visit this sort of establishment at all a testament to how stressed he really was. Not that he had anything against going out for drinks, but, seeing as he wasn’t all that social, he would usually much rather sit at his own private bar. Tonight though, the plentiful ambient sounds seem to calm his nerves far better then the silence would have.

“You’re late.” He growled irately, his anxiety making him moody and disgruntled.

“Naw. Yer early.” 

Thorin grumbled under his breath and took another sip of his drink.

“So, What’s got ye all up in a tizzy? Troubles in paradise?” Dwalin wasted no time on small talk and wiggled his eyebrows at the double meaning.

Thorin glared at him. “No.”

“Well, I know it’s not work. Balin says there hasn’t been much goin’ on worth mentioning.”

Thorin sighed and ran his hand through his hair again. He needed to talk about it, but he wasn’t sure how to without revealing too much. “It’s complicated.”

“Try me. I’m smarter than I look.” Dwalin took a sip of his drink.

Thorin snorted, but started putting his thoughts together. “I can’t give you all the details.” He warned first. “There’s something I want to do for Bilbo, but there’s only one person who can make it happen. The problem is, he won’t help me unless I can answer his riddle.” He explained the best he could without giving anything away.

It was Dwalin’s turn to snort. “Yer rubbish at riddles.”

“I know.” Thorin growled.

“So? What’s the riddle?”

“Does the sea call to me?”

Dwalin’s face became amusingly pinched. “What is tha’ supposed to mean? Tha’s not a riddle, it’s some kind of shrinky question from one of those head shrinkers!”

“Shrinky?” Thorin raised a brow. He was almost amused out of his brooding.

“Ye know what I mean.” 

Thorin huffed and shook his head. 

“So, why this question? What’s the point?” Dwalin pushed, taking it more seriously that Thorin thought he would.

“Apparently, in some people, the sea stirs up . . feelings . . of some kind and it’s called the ‘call of the sea.’ He won’t help me unless I can prove that I’ve been . . impacted by the sea in such a way.” Thorin did his best to explain without sounding like he had lost his mind.

Dwalin was staring at him intently now in consideration. Thorin sat back in his chair and crossed his arms in challenge, preparing to be teased, ridiculed or just not taken seriously.

Dwalin studied him in for several more minutes as they stared at each other in silence. ”I don’t know anythin’ about this ‘call to the sea’ stuff,” he began seriously, breaking the silence. “But, somethin’s changed about you since Dis bought tha’ island.”

Thorin couldn’t quite suppress his look of bafflement. “I haven’t changed. And if I have, it’s probably because of Bilbo.”

Dwalin raised a brow at him. “Ye met him there on yer first visit, did ye?”

“What? No, of course not. I met him later.”

“Aye. I thought it might be cause of yer lover too, but, the more I think about it, it started during that first vacation on the island.”

Thorin was still baffled. “What started?”

“Yer change. I noticed it from the beginning, but I just figured ye were just finally getting some down time.”

Thorin rubbed a hand down his face in exasperation. He didn’t remember being any different. Sure, he did find the island incredibly relaxing and it always seemed to drain the tension out of him, but how was that in anyway a ‘call’?

“Yer calmer there. More laid back and relaxed. Then ye come back here and it’s like it all disappears. In fact, it’s worse sometimes. Not so much in yer temper as in yer temperament. It’s like yer just trying to get through the days so ye can get back to yer island. Yer distracted.” 

Thorin glared at what sounded like an accusation. “I have been as efficient and productive as ever. I am not distracted. I’ve heard no complaints from Balin.”

“Aye. If anything, ye’ve gotten even more productive than ever. But, everything outside of the office, it’s like it doesn’t even matter anymore. I mean, how much time do ye actually spend at yer flat? It’s like everything ye have here is just a necessary evil that he have to plow through to get back to where ye want to be.”

Thorin furrowed his brows as he thought about what his friend was saying. He’d never really thought about it, but he supposed Dwalin was right. He worked because he had too. More often than not, he slept in the office. Other than occasional visits from his family, there wasn’t really anything here that held much interest for him anymore. Even with his work he wasn’t as personally invested as he used to be. He was just doing the work and making the decisions that were necessary.

“Look. All I’m sayin’ is this place isn’t really home for you anymore. Maybe it never was. You’ve never really been one to get attached to things or places, but that island is different. When yer here, it’s like yer just wantin’ to get back home.”

Thorin’s eyes widened with understanding when Dwalin put it that way. Yes, that’s exactly what it felt like. Arriving on the island had always felt like coming home, even before he understood that was what he was feeling. But he recognized it soon enough, even before he met Bilbo.

But it wasn’t about the island. It never was. Yes, it was beautiful and calming. But that little unassuming piece of land was nothing more and a means to the end. It had always been the sea that relaxed him. It’s why he enjoyed his boat so much, it made him feel closer. 

He just assumed that his tension increased after he returned from vacation because he had gotten used to being carefree during his vacations or because he was away from Bilbo. But maybe it was because he had left the sea, he had left his home. 

He rubbed a hand over his face in awe. If Dr. Grey hadn’t posed the question, he would have continued, who knows how long, not understanding what was happening to him. He only hoped that he was right. 

“So, did ye answer the question?” Dwalin regained his attention with a raised eyebrow.

“I think you answered it for me.” Thorin answered, still slightly in awe.

Dwalin snorted in amusement. “See, told ye I was smarter than I look.” He said with a smirk.

Thorin responded with a grin and chuckle of his own, already feeling enormously better now that he had some semblance of an answer. He rediscovered the drink sitting in front of him and raised his glass. “To answering ridiculous, ‘shrinky’ questions.” 

Dwalin barked a laugh but tapped his glass with his own. “To lovers who we agonize over ridiculous, ‘shrinky’ questions for, aye?”

“Aye!” Thorin laughed. And wasn’t that the truth!

~~~~~

Thorin found himself sitting in a bar waiting for his companion for the second time in far too few days. Granted, this bar wasn’t nearly as nice as the high class one that he and Dwalin had visited. And this time he wasn’t going mad from the pressure to come up with an answer. He was, however, sincerely hoping that his answer was correct. He guessed (hoped) that the old man would be able to give him some assurance to weather he was right or not. The idea that he might have to take the elixir without encouragement that he was on the right track still put knots in his gut.

He was pretty sure he was right about the call. But, at the same time, it was subjective and not really something he could prove. So, one hundred percent confidence didn’t really seem possible. He continued to brood, albeit less moodily this time, until Dr. Grey finally showed up fifteen minutes late . . again.

Thorin rolled is eyes as the old man strolled over. He’d be more upset if he wasn’t expecting it.

“Mr. Durin. You look as though you have an answer for me.” The old man said as way of a greeting.

Thorin didn’t care. He’d rather get down to business than waste time on small talk. “Yes. My answer is yes.”

Dr. Grey studied him. “You sound confident.”

Thorin huffed a anxious laugh. “I wish I was as confident as I sound.”

“I see. Can you describe it to me?”

Thorin was actually grateful for the question. It seemed like the old man wasn’t going to just take his word for it and send him off with a dangerous potion. He took a moment to gather his thoughts, thinking back to all the times he arrived at or left the island.

“It’s feels like home. When I’m away from it, I feel tense, displaced. And, when I return to the sea, it feels like I’m coming home . . like I’m finally where I belong. . . That’s the best I can explain it.” He thought it sounded a little cliche himself, but it was the best he could do.

The old man stared at him for several long moments, assessing, and Thorin twisted his new ring on his finger as he waited. “And you felt this way before you met your sea-husband?” He smirked a little at the term.

“Yes.” Thorin was confident about that one. It was the reason he found Bilbo in the end, because he kept coming back to the island. “I felt it long before I met him.”

Dr. Grey studied him for a few more seconds before a pleased grin slowly worked its way onto his face. “If that is not a call of the sea, then I don’t know what is.”

Thorin sighed in relief. 

“But, as I said, it isn’t not up to me, it is up to the sea.”

Thorin groaned. “Are you saying I could be wrong?” He asked exasperated. 

The old man slowly nodded. “It is possible you could be mistaken. _But_ , I would not give you the elixir if I had significant doubt. What you have said, presuming you didn’t just make it up, sounds very much like one who is chosen by the sea.”

“If I was going to make something up, I would have done it the first time we met. This isn’t something I’m willing to risk everything for. If there’s any assurances you can give me, I want them. I’m doing this for Bilbo, not myself.” Thorin bit back his temper.

Dr. Grey nodded again, pleased. “Which is why I think that you’re calling is genuine. Perhaps the sea knew he would need you.” He studied Thorin again with a contemplative look before reaching into an inner pocket of his jacket and pulling out a small pull-string leather pouch and holding it for Thorin.

Thorin cautiously took it and pulled out a small corked vile. It was about the size of his finger in width but only about three-quarters of the length. It was filled with a glistening clear liquid and he stared at it on fascination. 

“Using it is very simple. You must wait until a full moon and allow its rays to pass through the liquid. When it starts to glow with a blue light, you may enter the water and drink it. You _must_ be _in_ the sea when you drink it. The effects should be near immediate. The sea will either bless you or curse you.” 

Thorin continued to study the liquid as he listened. When he looked back to the old man, Dr. Grey’s brows were raised in surprised interest. Thorin tried to followed his gaze.

“That is quite some ring you wear. On your wedding ring finger, no less.”

Thorin puffed up, but even attempting to hide the pride he felt over it. “Bilbo made it for me.”

“Indeed? He is quite talented.” His gaze returned to Thorin with a small crooked grin. “I have very little doubt that you will succeed. You seem deeply devoted to Bilbo. And it seems you are dearly loved in return. If the sea would bless anyone, it would be one who has already embraced one of her children.”

Thorin sighed. “I hope you’re right.”

“There is one thing I would request.” 

Thorin looked at him suspiciously as he pocketed the bag with the vial. “What?”

“I would like to see him . . even if only pictures.” He hastens at Thorin’s glare. “And, perhaps some day, I would like to meet him. I fear that I failed in watching over his mother as I should have. I would like to do better in keeping track of Bilbo, especially as he is the last.”

Thorin got up to leave, now that their business was done. “We’ll see how this goes first. Thank you for your help.”

Dr. Grey nodded and Thorin took his leave. He studied the vial again on his flight back. It didn’t seem all that special. He almost couldn’t believe he was taking all this moon magic seriously, then again . . well, ‘sea-husband.’ He huffed a laugh to himself.

~~~~~

A week later, he was sitting on the diving deck of his boat with Bilbo propped on his lap waiting for the sun to go down. He had showed Bilbo the vial and told him of Dr. Grey’s assurances. Now that he was back here on the sea, he was confident it would work. . . Well, mostly confident, anyway. There was still a little tiny part of him that feared he was wrong, but here, floating on the waves with his sea-husband in his lap, it was easy to ignore that part.

Bilbo on the other hand was anxious enough for both of them. “I-I won’t let it have you.” He promised for the third time. “If the sea tries to take you, I’ll save you! I-I won’t let you drown! Are you sure you want to do this?”

Thorin rubbed the back of his knuckles softly down his lover’s back and brought their foreheads together. “Yes. I want to do this for you.”

“But-but I don’t need this. I’m happy with you, how we are now.” Bilbo pouted. 

“I know. Me too.” Thorin pulled him closer in reassurance.

“Then why?”

“Because I want to give you more. You deserve more. In fact, I think you might be the reason the sea called to me in the first place.” It had all seemed to make more sense as he thought about it again here at the island. He would have never found Bilbo if the sea hadn’t called to him and, now, it felt like the sea expected it of him to give whatever he could to the last ‘child of the sea.’

Bilbo continued to pout but didn’t argue, clinging to his husband. Thorin rubbed soothing circles into his tail and back as they waited for the last rays of sunlight to disappear. 

As soon as darkness set over the ocean, Thorin pulled out the vial and held it out. After several seconds of exposure to the full moon’s rays it began to glow with a shimmering blue light. They both watched, one with interest and one with apprehension, as Thorin waited until it seemed like it wouldn’t get any brighter.

He stripped there on the deck, not wanting to ruin his clothes if it worked, and slipped off his ring to put on a chain around his neck for safekeeping. Naked and ready, he slipped into the water.

Bilbo floated right next to him, protectively keeping a hand on him to grab him immediately should he start to sink. 

Thorin grabbed the vial from off the deck and carefully uncorked it. “Ready?”

Bilbo gave him one last pleading look as if begging him to reconsider but nodded softly. He had already spent three full days trying to change his lover’s mind. 

Thorin took a deep breath before downing the elixir in one gulp. When nothing happened immediately, he gently placed he vial back on the deck. Bilbo was staring at him intensely, waiting for _something_ to happen. 

“Maybe the old man was a quack after all.” Just as he finished his quip, he felt the water start to rapidly spin around him and pull him down. He only managed another breath and startled cry to his husband before his head ducked under the water. 

He could faintly hear Bilbo calling for him but unable to reach him in the midst of his swirling prison as it dragged him deeper. The whirlpool spun faster, making his body tingle from the sand hitting his skin and knocking the air out of his lungs. Before he could stop himself, he gasped for air but filled his lungs with sea water instead. 

His lungs burned, his skin stung and his legs ached, and, just when he thought he had reached his end, everything stopped. He stayed were he was overwhelmed by all the new sensations his body was registering and trying to adjust. 

When he finally looked up, it was to the most enchanting sound he had ever heard calling his name. He looked up and met the eyes of his awestruck husband, who looked far more beautiful then he remembered. 

His scales shimmered with a new and different brilliance that Thorin hadn’t noticed before. His voice to, was even smoother and angelic than he remembered. In fact, everything around him looked and sounded different. It was brighter and more colorful and the sounds seem to pass right into him.

Bilbo reached out and gently took his face in his hands, stroking Thorin’s short beard. It was only now that Thorin realized they were still under the water . . And he was breathing. 

He looked down at himself in surprise but couldn’t find his legs. What he did find was deep blue tail, much like his husband’s but also quite different. First off, his fins were short and average looking, nothing like the long flowing fins of his lover. And his tail was larger overall, wider and thick, though that seemed to make sense since he was bigger than Bilbo.

Bilbo drifted closer, also investigating and admiring his husband’s new body. He got Thorin’s attention with a giggle. “I thought you would lose this.” He said twirling a finger in Thorin’s chest hair. “And this.” He petted Thorin’s beard. “I was going to miss them.” He wrapped his arms around Thorin’s neck and Thorin pulled him close. “You look amazing.” He sighed as he nuzzled him.

Thorin grinned, no longer all that interested in his new form. He met Bilbo in a slow passionate kiss. “You’re going to have to teach me.” He said when the lazily parted lips, foreheads resting together.

Bilbo beamed at him, eyes filled with adoration and joy. “Maybe now you’ll finally be able to keep up.” He quipped as he leaned away, pulling Thorin by his forearms. 

“Go easy on me. I’ve never had a tail before.” He chuckled as he went willingly.

Bilbo’s giggle was melodious as he winked playfully and tagged Thorin out into the sea. 

Thorin grinned and let himself be pulled along. He could feel it more now then ever. ‘Yes,’ he thought to himself. ‘The sea calls to me.’ And it sounded remarkably like the wonderful sound of his husband’s laughter.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
_~~~Elsewhere~~~_

He walked quickly down the wide white halls, his cane tapping in time with his footsteps. Far too long, he had been searching. Scanning the world's oceans for even a glimpse of what he was looking for. Maybe this time he had finally found it. 

He burst into the satellite monitoring room.

“Sir, we have visual confirmation!”

“Show me!” He ordered and a few moments later an image popped up on the large overhead screen. 

“We’ve enhanced the image as much as possible.”

There it was. Very possibly the last one in the sea, and he had finally found it. He would not let it slip though his fingers this time. “Pinpoint its location and dispatch camera drones. I want to see our little treasure up close.”

There was a resounding “yes, sir’ as the room bustled to obey his commands.

He studied the image on the screen. A golden one. How fitting. It would certainly be worth its weight in gold.

_~~~To Be Continued~~~_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so ends part 1 . . with a bit of a cliffhanger. No, I don't apologize. How else am I supposed to lure you to part 2? ;P
> 
> But, seriously, there will be a part two . . when I can get to it. I've got the plans, I just need the time . . and to finish some of the others I've got going right now.
> 
> I've put this fic in a series called "The Sea and Me," so, if you want to be notified when the sequel comes out, all you have to do is subscribe to the series.
> 
> There will be, at least, one more sequel and possibly a few smaller ones after that. If there is anything you would like to see in them, be sure to post it in a comment. I promise some of the things you were hoping for in this part will be taking place in the next one.
> 
> I plan to get the first chapter for the next part done soon and will be adding it to "Sneak Peeks" until I can continue it, so you can subscribe to that if you would like to be notified when it gets posted.
> 
> Again, Thank you everyone for your support and encouragement and for staying with me until the end! :D


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